Sins of the Forefathers
by Kuroyami Fukaikuro
Summary: Jaune Arc doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps. He doesn't want to hurt people - rather, he wants to help them, like his mother always taught him. Unfortunately, no matter how far he goes in pursuit of his goals, the past has a way of interfering with the present - whether it's his own past, or the misguided actions of people long dead, things are never simple.
1. Prologue: Exodus

The Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

Prologue: Exodus

"Jaune Arc! Your mom is here for you."

The voice startled me from my book. I looked up from where I was sitting in against the wall of the waiting room, my disheveled blonde hair swaying with the motion. I closed the book I was reading - my great-great-grandfather's book - and stood up in time to hear a woman revise the guard's statement.

"I'm not his mother," she glowered. Ah, fuck, I thought, it's Juli.

The guard bowed his head and tipped his hat. "Apologies, miss. You 'is aunt?"

"Just leave it at 'guardian'. C'mon Jaune, I don't have all day!"

I sighed and walked towards the exit. Despite myself, I took a careful look at the waiting room on my way out - the plain white walls, a few plastic circle tables and chairs scattered haphazardly around the room, a row of plastic benches against the walls, and no windows. All the furniture was white, round, and plastic - the color was meant to keep people calm, and the design and material were supposed to ensure that no serious damage could be done with them if someone tried to use them for a fight.

However, I could personally attest that the designer had failed in that regard - I myself had used the benches to fend off attackers more than once, to a surprising degree of effectiveness.

In any case, I left the room and caught sight of Juli, as well as the guard. I almost tripped over myself, the way she looked at me. Damn, I thought, I'm gonna get a fuckin' earful tonight.

She didn't say anything as we left though, which I appreciated. Even if it was only for her own sake, it gave me a few more minutes of peace.

She was still silent when we got in her car though, which did unnerve me a bit. Usually she'd have said something by now, scolded me in some fashion.

Well, I thought, whatever. I'd deal with that when it came to it.  
As Juli started up the car, I spared one last glance at the Center through the car's side mirrors.

One way or another, I wouldn't be going back there.

* * *

By the time we got back home, it was late, almost eleven. The lights were off, and the house was dark as we entered. No one greeted us, so I figured the others were asleep by now. We took our shoes off - Juli didn't like getting dirt on the carpet - and she motioned for me to follow her into the living room. She turned on one of the corner lamps and sat down in the sofa-chair, leaning forward with her hands clasped in front of her in contemplation.

After I sat down on the couch in front of her, she addressed what we were both thinking about.

"So Jaune, what's your next move from here?" she asked, easing back into the chair. "Gonna follow in dad's footsteps? Or mom's?"

I was silent for a few moments, expecting more. When she kept waiting, I realized that she had said her piece. I guess she was tired of the usual spiel - not that I needed to hear it, as I'd heard it all before. As for the content of her question… I had expected her to ask about following in dad's footsteps, but mom's came out of nowhere. To begin with, taking after dad was a definite no, but mom…

Would it really be so bad? To live a quiet life, own a small business, fall in love, start a family, die peacefully?

…

No. No, I love mom, may The Good Brother grant her rest, but I'm an Arc, through and through. A quiet life just wasn't for me.

"I'm taking after Gramps," I replied evenly.

Her eyes widened in surprise, as if she herself hadn't even considered the option.  
"A Specialist? They'd never let you apply, not with your record. Unless you plan to enlist..."

"No, a Huntsman. I was planning on making my way to Vale tomorrow."  
"Tomo- Jaune, what?" Juli stood up, exasperated, but still watching her volume. "That's too soon!"

"It's not soon enough," I replied, also standing. "I need to get away, as soon as I can."

Her eyes widened and she shut her mouth, understanding. "He already wants you for another job?"

"Yeah, he came and told me about it a few weeks ago. You don't need to know, what he said, but trust me when I say it crosses a major line. I need to go."

She nodded. "Right. You can leave tomorrow, but not before you talk to everyone. Get some rest, I'll get some of your documents and things ready and wake you up early."

"You won't sleep?"  
She shook her head. "I'm not the one who has to leave. I can rest later. Everyone else can walk themselves to school now."

I nodded, then hugged her. "Thanks, sis," I said.

She held tight for a moment before replying, "What else is family for?"

I left her and went upstairs to my room, moving quietly to not disturb my other sisters. Luckily, Juli hadn't messed with anything. All of my books were filed as I had left them (by subject, and then title), my desk had my last project on it (an essay analysis of the battle of Cannae, and how the Faunus' General Ba'al Barca was able to turn a massive troop disparity into an outstanding victory), and my bed-

Well, she'd gotten a new frame, after that Specialist broke it by slamming me into it. And splurged on new covers. I guess she didn't expect that I'd leave again so soon.

…

"Sorry, Juli," I muttered to myself as I changed into my pajamas and went to sleep.

* * *

I woke early the next morning, to Juli shaking me awake.

"Jaune," she whispered forcefully, "it's six-thirty. The others get up at around seven-thirty. If you want to leave today, start getting ready. I left your documents on your desk."

Bleary eyed, and not quite awake, I nodded and muttered a quick thanks before getting up. I laid out my clothes for the day, then hopped in the bathroom. I showered and brushed quickly, but thoroughly - there was no telling when I'd be able to do so next.

As soon as I got back and changed, I started packing. I had three bags to work with - a luggage bag, an Atlesian Military-style duffel bag, and a backpack. I had to work quickly if I wanted to keep my deadline, so I'd have to be certain about what I brought with me - only the essentials.

I was able to fit three pairs of pants, two weeks worth of socks and underwear, twelve shirts, and a few hoodies into the luggage bag. I made certain to pack in my Pumpkin Pete's collectible hoodie - sure, it wasn't exactly fashionable, but I put in work for that thing, dammit. I was also able to stuff in a travel toothbrush and a few other toiletries, a large hunting knife, a multi-tool, an Atlesian Army Knife, and a fully stocked First Aid kit.

In the duffel bag, I crammed in my armor, basic sewing and tool kits, a lockpicking set, as well as a cleaning kit for my equipment. I was also able to stuff in a few books in the side pockets - stuff about battle tactics, and basic combat manuals.

I glanced over at the clock - seven-twenty. My other sisters would be waking up about now, getting ready for school-

"Big Bro!"

Surprised by the interruption, I whipped my head over to the door just in time for my youngest sister - Marigold - to jump and give me a tackling hug. I managed to keep my balance, righting myself before returning the hug. "Hey Mari," I said, ruffling her hair. "How've you been?"

"I'm doing really good in school!" she proclaimed. "The teacher said I was the best at finger painting!"

"Oh really? I should see it for myself, then!"

"Juli put it on the fridge! I painted everyone!"

"Everyone must have been really happy to be painted by you," I said as I put her down.

After I did so, she noticed that I was packing.

"Big Bro?" She asked. "Are you going to leave again? You just got back!"

I squatted down in front of her and patted her head. "Sorry Mari, but I got a job." Well, technically speaking I _would_ have a job, since I'd have to pay my way through Beacon somehow. And once I got through Beacon, money would practically cease to be a problem, though the work would be more dangerous than a conventional job.

Well, not that many conventional jobs would be willing to hire me at this point. Not if they got wind of my record.

"A job?" Mari asked tilting her head.

I nodded. "A job in Vale. If I work there, I can help Juli provide for everyone."

Mari glanced downwards, and I got worried that she would cry, but she looked up and smiled. "Okay, if Big Bro is moving to Vale then so is Mari! And so is Juli, Alice, Lorena, Kiana, Rayna, and Haruka! We're all gonna move with Big Bro! And Juli can get a job in Vale too!"

I chuckled at her optimism and shook my head. "No, you all can't come with me. See, my job wants me to live in a special building that's just for employees, so that workers can always be near the job in case of an emergency." Once again, technically true, if everything worked out. But I had to turn the conversation around, change the topic so that I could get back to packing. "So Mari, I need you guys to stay here so that I can come back when I get vacations, okay?"

She scrunched her face up as though she was having a hard time making a decision before she finally nodded. "Okay! Mari will be a good girl and help everyone with chores! And then when Big Bro comes back, you can bring us toys from Vale!"

I laughed and said, "I'll make sure to do that. Now, go and get ready for school."

She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before running off, and I got back to packing. There wasn't much more to think about. I put all my important documents, identification, and other stuff in a folder and placed it in the backpack, along with the essay I was working on (no sense letting all that effort go to waste), my great-great-grandfather's book, a few more books relating to my research, my laptop (old and used, but still kicking), a few notebooks, a smaller knife, and another First Aid kit (you never could be too careful).

Satisfied with what I had chosen to pack, I set about cleaning up after myself - no sense in forcing Juli to do any more work than she had to - when one of my sisters cleared their throats. I turned around expecting to see either Alice or Lorena, only to be taken aback when I realized that all of my sisters were standing there, minus Juli and Mari.

After a short silence, Lorena spoke up. "Juli explained the important parts," she began. "Were you going to leave without seeing us?"

The important parts? I thought. So the fact that I was leaving, maybe that it was to become a Guardian. She probably hadn't said anything about dad, but the older girls would have figured that part out anyway. "Of course not," I began quickly. "I just wanted to get my stuff ready first."

Lorena scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. I see it's already too late to talk you out of it, but…"

"You should have told us!" Rayna shouted as she rushed over and punched my leg.

"Ow," I grunted before dodging her next punch.

"Look," Alice asserted herself, stepping over my bags and into the room. "All we wanted was to hear it from you."

I closed my eyes and breathed, collecting myself. Then I said, "Guys, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving for Vale to become a Huntsman." And to get away from dad, but the little ones didn't need to know that.

Alice and Lorena already understood, and they nodded, satisfied.

Kiana was less than happy, piping up with "Isn't that a really dangerous job?"  
"Who cares about that!" Rayna shouted. "Jaune's gonna be a superhero!"

Haruka, ever shy, walked over and hugged my leg before asking, "You're not leaving because you don't love us?"

I tousled her hair and replied, "I will always love all of you. You're my sisters! How could I not? But this is for the best. When I become a Huntsman, I'll be able to provide for all of you. You can all go to college, and get nice new clothes, and other things."

Haruka nodded and let go. "Okay. Then I'll pray for you to succeed, Jaune!"

Slowly, they all dispersed and went back to getting ready for the school day.

* * *

We said our last goodbyes at around eight, when they were all about to leave for school. We gathered in the entryway and they lined up, all dressed up to go on with their day. I had put my bags in the entryway, but I didn't expect to leave until about midday - I had checked my Scroll and the next flight to the city of Vale wouldn't be until the afternoon.

"So," I began, when all of a sudden they all rushed me with a group hug.

After a moment of quiet comfort, I spoke again. "I'm sorry that I have to go. I'll miss you all."

Slowly, one by one, they separated from the hug and went out the door, off to their school. I wiped my tears and went back up to my room, deciding to spend my last few hours doing some reading.

* * *

I left the house around twelve-thirty, after a light lunch. I made sure to give Mari's painting a good, long look before I left. It was all of us, in front of the house. It was simple, but everyone was pretty easily recognizable. She even painted her mom, and dad.

…

I shouldered my backpack and duffel bag, and set the luggage bag on its wheels. Despite my already overburdened bags, I brought the textbook I had started as well - a primer on college-level Dust chemistry - I hadn't read it yet, as I had gotten it just before my incarceration.

I made sure to lock the door behind me, then threw the key in through the mail slot. I wouldn't be needing it, not for a long time.

Well then, I thought. First thing's first, my stash of Lien - assuming dad or someone hadn't already found it.  
It's not as though I was totally dependent on it - I had had enough in the house to pay for a ticket, but for what I was trying to do, I would need all the money I could get.

* * *

It took me about an hour to look through all my hiding places. Of the five of them, three remained untouched - lucky break for me, as I now had about three and a half grand of Lien, plus some change. More than enough to get to Vale and survive for a while.

I considered walking to the airport, but decided to catch a cab to save time.

The ticket cost a bit more than I expected, and I had to spend some Lien to keep security off my back about my luggage, but in the end, I was able to get through to the waiting terminals with two and a half grand Lien intact. I decided to forego dinner at the airport, as the flight would offer a meal.

As I was waiting at the terminal, I happened to get in a conversation with a woman next to me. She had shoulder-length black hair, amber eyes, and a rather stunning little dress. She was rather beautiful, but not quite my type - she was more of a 'sexy' girl than a 'cute' one. Still, I thought, nothing wrong with being friendly. And besides, she wasn't setting off any bad vibes, and I'm pretty good at sniffing those out.

Just not hers, I would later find out.

I started the conversation by asking about the book she was reading and we went from there.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

She looked up, regarded me, and smiled. " _The Third Crusade_ ," she said.

"Isn't that-"

"The White Fang book? Yes, I know it's not exactly popular literature here in Atlas, but I'm interested in what about it has them all riled up."

"How is it? I haven't read it yet, so just give me a general idea."

"Well…" the woman glanced down at the book, thinking about what to say, and then looked back at me. "The author's general philosophy is sound, but they tend to contradict themselves in regards to detailed information. They tend to focus too much on the effects of Human/Faunus conflicts, for example, but ignore the many recorded instances of Faunus-on-Faunus warfare and conflict. Then again, it is a propaganda book, so I suppose that's to be expected."

"I see," I mused.  
"And you? What are you reading?"

"Well, at the moment-" I pulled the Dust Chemistry textbook from my backpack, and held it up. "It's a primer for college level Dust Chemistry."

"Are you a student at Atlas U?"

"No, AU was a bit too close to home for me, and I wasn't interested in joining the military. I'm planning on going to an Academy in Vale."  
"Beacon?"

"Yeah, that's the hope."  
"Isn't it early to be moving?"

"Well, I wanted to finally move out and be on my own, so I managed to make a deal with a guy in Vale. He's gonna let me live with him until the school year starts in exchange for helping with rent." A lie, but also the ideal situation I desired. Well, here's hoping.

"I see," she mused.

"So why are you going to Vale? Vacation? Part of the reason I left early was because I've heard it's pretty nice in the Summer."

"Unfortunately, no, I'm going on business. My company is considering a merger with one in Vale, and they've sent me as a representative."

"Wow, that's impressive. Good luck with that."

"Well," she said, "You see, it's not so simple." She leaned in and whispered lightly, "Supposedly, some of the higher ups in the company have ties to the White Fang."

I raised my eyebrow. "Is there any credence to that claim?"

"No, it's mostly rumors just because the higher-ups of the company are Faunus. Still, part of the reason I decided to start reading this" - she tapped her book - "now was because I wanted to be able to clearly state my thoughts on it if I needed to."

"Well, that's smart of you to think ahead."

She smiled evenly. "It's how I got my job."  
"Say, what's your-"

"ATTENTION PASSENGERS TO VALE ON FLIGHT 927, IF YOU ARE SEATED IN FIRST OR BUSINESS CLASS THEN PLEASE LINE UP TO BOARD NOW. I REPEAT, PASSENGERS TO VALE ON FLIGHT 927, IF YOU ARE SEATED IN FIRST OR BUSINESS CLASS PLEASE LINE UP TO BOARD NOW." The intercom cut me off and I glanced up at the desk before turning back to the woman, only to notice that she had stood up.

She turned to me and held out a card. "Cinder Fall," she said. "And you?"

I stood up, took the card and shook her hand. "Jaune Arc."

"Well, Mister Arc," she smiled again and gave me a wink. "Gimme a call sometime. I'd love to talk more." With that, she grabbed her bags and walked off towards the loading gate.

I looked down at the card. Pale Nimbus, raised lettering. Simple white color. It was clean, efficient. I looked back up at her retreating figure and found myself staring at her a second longer than I had intended.

"Did she just come onto me?" I muttered to myself, shaking my head. "Was I just flirted with?"

…

"Nah, no way."

After a few more minutes, the second and third class passengers were called to board. As I did, I passed by Cinder's seat, and I gave her a friendly wave, which she returned.

Well, at least I wouldn't be going to Vale completely alone, I thought.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: ESTABLISHING BASIC AU DIFFERENCES**

For the sake of alleviating any confusion, I will take a few moments to explain basic differences between the canon RWBY universe and the one presented within this fanfic. At the moment, these differences are largely semantic in nature, though there are a few important ones regarding the differences between Faunus and Humans, and Grimm.

As the story goes along, I will provide further Author's Notes to detail further differences as necessary.

 **-Semantic Differences**

-"Huntsman" is used in the show as a catch-all term for people who specialize in combating Grimm and protecting people. Within this fic, there are several terms with varying levels of detail and relevance.

-"Assassin" is a professional term for someone who specializes in combat against people. They are often as skilled as the average Guardian, and, given their specialty, are typically successful in beating Guardians in battle.

-"Guardian" is the catch-all term used around the world of Remnant to describe anyone who, in particular, attends and/or graduates from one of the four combat schools with the specific goal of protecting people from Grimm. Guardians, upon graduating from their chosen school, typically have the option to contract themselves to any given government, or to freelance themselves and serve as private contractors.

-Atlesian "Specialists" are the Atlesian-specific term for a Guardian who has graduated from Atlas Academy. Unlike the other four nations, Specialists are required upon applying to contract with the Atlesian Military and serve as Officers upon graduation for a minimum of five years, though many simply decide to make Military Service their lifelong career.

-Valese "Huntsmen" are the Vale-specific term for a Guardian. The term originated as a colloquialism, as in the early days after the founding of Beacon Academy, the local Guardian corps' propensity to use traps and specialized combat skills to kill Grimm, rather than overwhelming the beasts with technology, led to a comparison to common Hunters killing for food.

-Mistralian "Bushi" are the Mistral-specific term for a Guardian. The term is a holdover from the days of the Mistral Caste system, when being a Guardian was a prestige reserved for families of particular pedigree.

-In Vacuo, "Vizier" is the national term for a Guardian. Due to the nomadic nature of the people, who largely stick to travelling with their own tribes, Viziers who graduate from Shade Academy are granted enormous prestige upon returning to their tribes and are often trusted with family secrets and governmental duties, which is in fact the origin of the use of the term.

 **-Differences between Faunus and Humans**

The difference is a matter of biology, as one might expect. _On average_ , a Faunus is physically superior to a Human - night-vision aside, a Faunus will _typically_ have better senses and better physical strength, dexterity, and endurance than a Human. On the other hand, the _average_ Human has more Aura than the _average_ Faunus, as well as a better ability to control the use of their Aura.

 **-Grimm**

The Grimm are no longer attracted to "negative emotion". It's a stupid plot point that ruins the narrative flow of the world and only really benefits like, two scenes out of canon.


	2. Chapter One: The Light in the Distance

The Sins of the Father

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

Chapter One: The Light in the Distance

As soon as the airship touched down, I got up out of my seat and headed for the disembarking platform. The other passengers crowded around me as we passed through the terminal doors before spreading out as we headed either for connecting flights or, as in my case, towards the baggage claim.

I spotted Cinder there and waved at her, and she waved back. I walked over and we waited for the baggage carousel together.

"So Jaune," she continued the conversation.

"Yes?"

"What kind of Huntsman are you aspiring to be? A teacher? Diplomat, law enforcement specialist?"

"Something in Intelligence probably."

"Oh? You're going to graduate from Beacon, but end up working for Atlas anyways?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she began, "it's not like Vale is in the market for spies. Of the four Republics, they are the least militaristic. The only role you might serve as a logistical tactician might be one in national law enforcement."

"I mean, I'm not really sure what I want to do with my life at the moment, besides being a Guardian. That's just the field of study I want to focus on."

Cinder nodded, but I couldn't really get a sense of whether she approved of my reasoning or not - and even the tone of voice behind her next sentence left me feeling ambiguous. "There's nothing wrong with that. To be honest, my parents actually didn't want me to go into business."  
"Really?"

"Yes, they wanted me to go into healthcare, as a nurse. Now, don't get me wrong, I admire nurses and what they do, it's just that there's… something about it that… oh, how do I say-"

"It's just not 'you'?"

She turned and smiled at me, and this time I felt as though she genuinely approved.

"Yes, that's it exactly."

The baggage carousel started, and we made small talk as we got our luggage - according to her, there was a club in town that she thought I should visit, if it was my kind of scene.

As we headed for the exit, she offered to share the cost of a cab.

"What, no chauffer?" I joked.

She chuckled. "Despite my pleas, it wasn't accepted as a business expense. Look, I know you're on your own, so we'll split seventy-thirty."

"I assume you're the seventy?"

"Of course. Even if I'm not _that_ much older than you, it's an adult's responsibility to look out for those younger than myself. Besides, I'm funded and you're not."

"Well, I guess it's better than going alone. Sure."

We reached the exit and hailed a cab. It didn't take long - one look at her and the driver cut through a lane just to pick us up.

As we rode, we talked further.

"So Jaune, are you the first in your family to attend a Guardian school?"

"Technically, yes. My family has a long legacy of Guardian-style heroism, but I'll be the first to actually go to a Guardian academy."

"What did your ancestors do?"

"My father apprenticed himself to numerous powerful people after he finished his training with my grandmother. He figured that getting first-hand experience alongside a professional was more beneficial than spending four years at the academies."

"And your grandmother?"

"She learned everything she needed from her father. Not just fighting, at that - combat tactics and military strategy. Served her well during the battle of Cydonia."

"She fought in the Second Faunus Revolution?"

Jaune couldn't help but puff out his chest with some pride. "More than that - she helped Vale earn its decisive victory. My grandmother was the General of the Valean defensive militia, and founder of the Knights of Cydonia."

"Your grandmother was Carla Magna!? But that must mean... You're descended from Gaius Caesar?"

"Yep. He and my grandmother are my main inspirations for becoming a Guardian."

"Not your dad?"

"Well, my dad opted for a - different lifestyle."

"Do you have any other Guardian relatives? No siblings to look up to?"

"I'm actually the second eldest. My sister's an accountant."

"Second eldest? So you mostly have younger siblings?"

"Yeah, six younger sisters."

"Seven sisters? I can't imagine how you keep track of them all."

"Oh it's not that hard. They're all pretty unique in their own ways."

"Do you love them?"

"With all I've got. Part of the reason I'm going into Guardian training is so that I can support them. What about you? Any siblings?"

At that, Cinder looked down, and I got the feeling that I had made a misstep. "I never got along with my sisters. We were just too… different."

I shook my head and smiled, attempting to rescue her falling mood. "Well, sometimes that happens. You can't choose your relatives, after all."

She looked up. "Yes, indeed you can't."

* * *

The cab dropped her off in front of a hotel - Elysium, one of the hotels under the Xenios line, definitely upper class. Must be nice to work in business, I thought.

I had the cab bring me to the shopping district - it was only around 10 in the morning, and finding work was a better thing to prioritize than finding shelter. All told, thanks to Cinder covering most of the cost, it only cost me 20 Lien.

* * *

None of the shops on the main roads were hiring. Or, at least, none were going to bother wasting time interviewing some suspicious kid with luggage and no place to go. No one I talked to knew of any 'good but cheap' apartments, either.

Damn. Time to check the side streets. I had to start looking for underground connections anyway. With my record, getting into Beacon through the traditional route was going to be impossible - I'd have to find a forger.

I took a right into a side street and stood at the corner for a moment, gazing at the shops. I would hit all of them if necessary, of course, but there was no sense in getting hired somewhere terrible just because I was too lazy to prioritize and they offered me a position first.

There were a few shops here, mostly small cafes and merchandise shops, but one near the end of the street caught my eye. It appeared to be a bookstore - but I'd have to get closer to make sure. In any case, passing by all the other shops would help me finalize the order I'd prioritize them in.

I walked down the street - 27th Street, turning from Main Street - and approached the store. As I did, a strong smell of coffee wafted over from the cafes, and I caught a few slivers of conversations as I passed by. Most of them seemed pretty mundane, and one almost made me stop and listen-

"-o remember Neo, we're meeting Cinder toni-"

-so I got a good look at the duo as I passed. The man speaking had on a white hoodie - in the summer? definitely suspicious - and bright orange hair peeked out from under the hood. The girl - child? - in front of him had brown hair with pink and white highlights. She wore a simple t-shirt and jeans.

A guy in a hoodie and a child? Probably not involved with the Cinder I knew. It's not like there was only one person in the world with that name. I decided to let it go and kept walking towards the bookstore.

* * *

I stopped in front of the bookstore and made note of the name.

"Tukson's Book Trade, huh?"

According to the advertisement board placed outside, it was home to every book under the sun.

God I hoped so, I had to leave most of my library behind when I came here.

I walked in, and immediately took in the structure. Several chest-high bookshelves were arrayed on the left and right sides of the store to diagonally point at the entrance. There were also a few smaller bookshelves in front of the store windows. The walls themselves were lined with more bookshelves that reached the ceiling.

The next thing I saw was the owner. He was human, or at least could hide his Faunus traits well - never could tell with some people. He had on a t-shirt and dark khakis. Brown eyes and black hair - and sideburns. Not gonna lie, they looked so good on him that I wished I had sideburns before remembering that I was blonde.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade," he spoke as I entered, "home to every book under the sun."

"That's quite a claim," I joked. "You got 'Codex Atlantis'?"

Tukson chuckled. "Funny. No, unfortunately that book is still held within the private collection of the Schnee. But if you know about that, I guess you know what you're looking for?"

"Well, I'm looking for a few things actually."

"Shoot."

"First of all, a job-"

"We're not hiring."

"Damn. Alright, do you know anywhere I can rent a room for cheap?"

"Actually, if you don't mind not having AC-"

The phone in the back rang. Tukson jumped, and his expression read that he expected the call, but perhaps not so soon.

"Do you mind waiting?"

"No problem," I replied.

He walked back into what I presumed was the storage area, and I started to peruse the shelves for something I might want. Yeah, I didn't have much money to waste, but a good book isn't really a waste of money.

After a few minutes, he came out from the back, looking stressed.

"Hey kid- uh-"  
"Jaune."

"Jaune. You said you were looking for a job? Have you worked in retail before?"

I turned away from the shelf I had been searching through and faced him fully. "Yes, and yes. Why?"

"Well, I've got an emergency situation, but I can't close the shop because I've got an important customer coming in with a reservation. So, if you agree to watch the shop until I get back, I'll pay you for your trouble and we can talk from there."

"Okay, sure. Who should I look out for?"

"A Faunus, he's got red hair and bull horns. He likes to wear a black suit, too. When he comes in, just tell him that I'm dealing with a family emergency, and when he asks for his reservation-" Tukson then paused and used a key to unlock a cabinet before withdrawing a package in a cardboard box.

"-give him this. It's prepaid for, so don't worry when he doesn't give you any Lien for it."

"Understood."

"You know how to work a register, scanner, all that?"

"Yep."  
"Great, the code to access the register is five-three-nine-nine-eight. Don't forget it. Comics are at the front, novels on the left, and nonfiction on the right. Oh, and make sure to greet customers with the slogan."

"You got it, boss."

Tukson nodded as he headed towards the door, grabbing his keys from behind the counter. He looked back at me before he left and said, "Look Jaune, I'm taking a big risk by trusting you here. I do have security cameras, so no funny business."

"You have nothing to worry about. I came here to seriously look for a job, and I intend to take my work seriously."

He nodded, and then left.

…

"Alright," I muttered to myself as I moved my luggage into the back room, "time to figure out how this register works."

* * *

After a few minutes, I had fiddled with the register enough to get the basic gist of how it worked. Just in time, too - a customer had come in.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun!" I greeted automatically, not yet looking up from the register.

"You're not Tukson," the man replied evenly. As I glanced up at him, I recognized him as fitting the description Tukson had told me. Red hair, bull horns, black suit. I wasn't prepared to look into his eyes though - there was some sort of smoldering intensity there that I usually only saw in my dad, or the people that hired him. At the same time, he wasn't setting off any alarm bells in my head, so I figured he was just a really driven businessman.

"I'm a new hire," I replied. "Tukson had a family emergency, and I was in the market for a job, so we made a deal. Here's your package," I finished, holding the box out to the man.

He took it and smiled his thanks before turning to leave. Before he reached the door, he turned back, stared right into my eyes and asked, "You don't mind working under a Faunus?"

Well, I say 'stared' but it was more like he was glaring at me - like I was some sort of enemy, intruding somewhere I didn't belong. It frightened me. It took me a second to think about what he said - oh, so Tukson _was_ a Faunus - and another to formulate a coherent response.

I swallowed, shrugged at him and said, "Well, work is work, a boss is a boss. Besides, it's not like he's a criminal or something."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Pretty simple, aren't you? Most humans wouldn't willingly work for a Faunus."

"Yeah, well, I'm not most humans. And like I said - work is work, and a boss is a boss. My father always told me that the most important thing with working for someone is whether you can trust them to pay you."

The man seemed somewhat taken aback by my answer before shaking his head and relaxing his expression. "Fair enough," the man chuckled. "Good luck with your new work, kid."

"Thank you, sir."

With that, the man left the store.

After he left, I muttered, "Shit, I haven't been that scared since the last time I talked to dad. I'd hate to be one of his employees."

* * *

It was around five when Tukson came back. Expecting another customer, I started to greet him with the slogan, only to stop when I recognized him.

"Welcome to Tukson's- oh, hey boss. The guy you talked about came and got his book a bit after you left."

He paused for a moment as if he was shocked, before shaking his head. "Right, I forgot I hired you… John, was it?"

"Jaune."

"Jaune. I- I appreciate the help. You got here around 11, right?"

"Yes."  
"And it's about five now… minimum wage in Vale is 10 Lien, but I'll give you a bonus since you did this on short notice." He walked over and opened up the register before pulling some Lien out and counting them. "Here's… Seventy-two Lien."

As I reached out and took the money from him, he continued to speak.

"Look, the issue with my family is gonna demand some more time from me. And seeing as you seem to have come here with no plan, I don't think I'm wrong in assuming that you're desperate for a job and a place to stay?"

"I wouldn't say desperate, but yes."

"All right, in that case, I have a proposition for you."  
"I'm all ears."  
Tukson breathed for a moment as he decided the exact terms of his proposition.

"Okay, listen. I'll hire you for the time being, at eleven Lien per hour, paid in cash at the end of each day. You'll work from eight A.M. to seven P.M., and you'll get two hour-long unpaid breaks per day - one for lunch, and one for dinner, unless I have to deal with my business, in which case you'll watch the store for the whole day without breaks. In exchange for taking unpaid breaks, I'll set you up with a friend of mine who runs a small apartment complex. You'd be getting a small, cheap room with no AC, but it comes fully furnished and with free utilities for the first month. Also, I guarantee you'll still be getting it for much cheaper than what a normal resident would actually pay. How does that sound to you?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Well, I thought to myself. That's quite a hard bargain. It's practically everything I could ask for right now. A steady job, and a place to live, fully furnished? Just how desperate was Tukson's family crisis? Still, I'd be a fool to just take the first offer presented to me, so-

"If I'm gonna be forced to take unpaid breaks, then I won't accept unless you pay me fifteen Lien per hour."

"Twelve Lien."  
"Fourteen."

"Twelve-fifty."

"Thirteen-fifty."

"Thirteen?"  
"Can I get an employee discount?"

"Uh, sure, I guess."

"Then I accept. Thirteen Lien per hour with an employee discount of twenty-five-"

"Fifteen."

"-tch. Fifteen percent off." With that, I shook his hand.  
Tukson blinked in surprise at my sudden acceptance of his proposal, apparently expecting me to bargain further. He recovered quickly though, and shook my hand back before beginning to explain some of the things I would have to do for my work at the bookstore.

* * *

We closed up the shop at six - an hour earlier than he usually would, Tukson told me - and he drove me and my luggage about a mile or two away, towards what even the most kind, patient, and understanding citizen would dub the 'rough' part of town.

Red bricks painted over with gang signs or the occasional tagger's work of art formed the exterior for most of the buildings that I could see, and the few exceptions were covered in enough graffiti that whatever they were made of, they still looked the same on the outside. Bums sat on the streets or hung around the entrances of convenience stores, and I would swear that I saw at least three drug exchanges, maybe four. Tukson had rolled down the window for a cigarette, and I could detect a faint smell of urine mixed in with the smoke.

We stopped at a red light, and I saw a group of Faunus congregated around a burning trash can greet each other before a few of them pulled out some pistols and moved down the street towards some unknown destination.

"Yeah, the neighborhood isn't great," Tukson said, glancing briefly at the sight before facing the road as the light turned green again. "But trust me, unless you've got a few thousand Lien hidden away somewhere, my friend runs the best apartment you could afford on your salary. Luckily, the apartment itself isn't in quite as bad an area as we're passing through. This is just the shortcut."

True to his words, the streets began to clean up a bit as we went along. Eventually, we approached a small dormitory-like apartment building - red brick like the others I had seen, but cleaner, with fresh grass and no scent of cigarettes or any drugs I could smell.

We got out of the car and stepped into the entrance, and I was taken aback by how excessively clean the interior was. The wooden floor was polished and waxed to a shine, the assortment of furniture had been dusted fairly recently, and there was a scent of lemon in the air, as though someone had just sprayed some aerosol right before we entered.

Scratch that - someone _had_ just sprayed some aerosol, and it was us. I turned around and noted that above the doors was a motion detector, like the ones usually connected to automatic doors. However, instead of opening doors, it was connected to a mechanism that activated a Schnee brand spray.

"Welcome! Oh, hey Tukson! How've you been? Who's the kid?" a female voice called out to us. I turned away from the door and towards the voice. It was a Faunus - but I wasn't too surprised about that, given that Tukson had told me a little bit about her. She was a racoon-based Faunus, and she had some darkened skin around her hazel eyes to show for it. Also around her eyes were a pair of thinly framed glasses, with a rather strong prescription if the lenses' thickness was anything to go by. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties, and I will freely admit that she did look nice, with a business-casual shirt that seemed to barely fit her figure and and some seemingly sterling silver jewelry that complemented the look.

The look in her eyes told my instincts that she was reliable and honest, but after dealing with the bull Faunus earlier, I wasn't going to take any chances. I put my best smile on and walked up to her, holding my hand out.

"Hi, I'm Jaune Arc."

She smiled back but didn't take my hand. "Hi Jaune, I hope you don't mind if I don't shake your hand - if you hadn't noticed, I'm a bit of a germaphobe. Oh, and I'm Aurie by the way. How do you know Tukson?"

I let my hand drop as Tukson stepped up to the counter. "He's a new hire. I told you about the thing with my family, right?"

Aurie nodded. "Yeah, you did tell me about that. So I guess he's gonna cover for you at the shop? But what'd you bring him to me for?"

"Well, he's actually new in town. It's why he was looking for a job to begin with. And while he's set on that front," Tukson began.

"-he still needs a place to stay that's relatively close to the shop," Aurie finished with a sigh, shaking her head. She then looked past me and glared at Tukson. "And I'm guessing that Tukson told you about some room you could get for cheap, with no AC but free utilities for the first month or so?"

I turned back to Tukson, who was trying to act as though he wasn't paying attention to what Aurie was saying. Aurie then continued, which brought my attention back to her.

"Well, he's not wrong, but you still have to go through the regular room applicant interview and process. I presume you'll want to start now?"

I nodded. "Yes. The sooner this is done with, the sooner we can all go on with our lives."

Aurie guffawed at that. "Kid, you should save that kind of talk for when you have to do something you hate! This is an interview, not an interrogation! Lighten up a little!"

With that, she turned and motioned for me to follow her into an office. Tukson, seemingly familiar with this sequence of events, took a seat in one of the lobby couches.

I took a second to mentally calm myself before gathering my bags and following Aurie into the office.

* * *

Cinder had been waiting in the private room for fifteen minutes, and her contacts were late. Loud techno music blared outside as she sat in a rather comfortable chair, slowly sipping on a mixed drink with a little umbrella in it. On the table to her left was her purse, and she pulled her scroll out to check the time once more before putting it back in and contemplating her surroundings.

The club was honestly nice, and if she was a typical girl, she could see herself coming here for fun on a Friday after work, which said a lot for how well Junior ran the place as a cover. After another sip, she checked the time again and her ire grew, only to deflate a bit as the door was knocked on.

Cinder took a moment to breathe and calm herself. It would not do to go into a negotiation with heightened emotions. Once she was ready, she called, "Come in."

As the door opened, Roman Torchwick stepped into the room, looking exactly like his file indicated, though his clothes appeared a bit shabbier than he was known to dress - though, she thought, it made sense since he wasn't exactly trying to be seen. He wore a simple white hoodie and some blue jeans that looked as though they had been pulled from a thrift store.

He seemed calm. It made sense, Cinder thought - it's not like this would be his first time negotiating for business.

What Cinder didn't expect was for a small girl to step into the room after Roman and close the door behind him. She had brown hair with pink and white highlights on the right side of her head, and wore a simple shirt and jeans. A henchman? An apprentice? Apprentice seemed more likely, seeing as she carried an umbrella, similar to Roman's iconic cane.

In any case, her purpose for the meeting was immediately clear to Cinder given that the girl obviously thought that the illusion in front of Cinder was working. It was probably a scare tactic, Cinder assumed - something they did when they met new contacts to gauge their intelligence, or to gain a psychological advantage by revealing that they had been standing behind the contact the whole time - not to mention the psychological impact of revealing that at least one of the two contacts had such a powerful Semblance.

Unfortunately for them, Cinder was much more capable than they assumed.

As Roman visually appeared to take a seat and the girl walked to stand behind him, Cinder waited patiently before beginning.

"I'd appreciate it if you could drop the formality, Roman Torchwick. This trick might seem impressive to lesser criminals, but I'm not someone you can fool."

There was a shimmer in front of her as the girl she sensed got surprised by Cinder's immediate dismissal of her illusion. As Roman began to laugh, the illusion dropped, revealing that Roman and the girl had moved behind Cinder while the illusion was in place. Without further ado, the pair walked in front of Cinder and Roman made a point of taking a seat in the chair next to the one his illusory self had appeared to sit in.

"Well, I'll admit I'm impressed. Until you, only five other people have been able to notice one of Neo's illusions at first glance - and one of them was Ozpin himself! Now then, Cinder Fall, if we're dropping the formalities, then give me a reason to believe that working with you won't be a waste of my time."

Cinder gave him a moment to bask in his perceived superiority before simply replying, "Bohemia, Atlas. The orphanage on the edge of town."

Though Roman gave no indication of what the words meant, the 'Neo' girl clearly wasn't as experienced, as she raised her eyebrows in shock.

"And what does that little city have to do with me?" Roman asked with a thin smile.

"Don't try to play games with me, Roman. I told you to drop the formalities. Let me put things as simply as possible for you - working for me isn't a question of whether what you might gain is worth your time, it's a question of whether you're willing to lose what you value most."

Cinder had leaned forward in her chair as she said this, and she could sense that Neo was growing tense - it was obvious that the only reason the girl hadn't already attacked was that Roman hadn't ordered it.

After a moment, Roman sighed in defeat and dismissively waved at Neo. "Well. You've clearly got me at a disadvantage. Not bad, for a bastard daughter."

Cinder flinched at that. "You've done your homework," she replied evenly.

"It was the least I could do - and obviously not enough. I guess it's a lot easier to cover up your history when you have no identity to begin with." He stared at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at Cinder. "What do you want from me?"

"I need your expertise. I have good sources, but when it comes to Vale, the best person to go to is you."

"Don't give me that. If you were able to find out about Bohemia, you clearly know a thing or two about intelligence gathering. What do you really want from me?"

"I told you. Your expertise. I have a- series of jobs I'd like to perform in Vale. You were once regarded as one of the Three Monarchs of Vale's criminal underworld, and the absolute best at strategically manipulating people into your plans, to the point that your epithet was literally 'the Chessmaster.' You have access to connections and resources I could make great use of in the jobs I have planned - and obviously, aside from leaving your hometown alone, you'd get a split of the profits of these jobs."

Roman shook his head and sighed angrily, annoyed by something Cinder had said. "I always did hate that nickname. It made it sound like what I did was easy for me, but beating a Grandmaster at chess would be ten times simpler than some of the things I pulled off." He breathed for a moment before asking, "How much of a split?"

"Twenty-five percent of the main goal, and whatever you find on anyone we have to deal with or any non-mission specific objects you want to take for yourself."

"...I know you've got me at a disadvantage, but you're really bad at this if you think that offering twenty-five percent is enough to get someone of my caliber to work for you - especially seeing as I'm gonna need some funds to begin with to start rebuilding my connections."

"I'm not taking seventy-five percent. I'm taking fifty."

"And who's taking the other twenty-five?"

"The White Fang."

"The White-" With that, Roman guffawed loudly, and continued laughing for a full minute at the sheer incredulousness of what Cinder had said. "You're crazy! The White Fang would never work with Humans like us!"

"They will, Roman. Whether they like it or not. Whether any of you like it or not, you will all work for me. The only real question, from where I'm sitting, is whether or not you'll get paid for your work."  
With that, Cinder stood up and held out her hand. Roman stared at her for a moment and looked into her eyes.

Roman Torchwick was a very experienced criminal and conman. He had spent over twenty years amassing power in Vale's underworld, building connections with corrupt politicians and Huntsmen alike, and fooling them all with his schemes for wealth and power. In those twenty years, the skill he had best developed with all his socializing and manipulating had been the ability to read people. And it wasn't just body language - it was something more, an ability to sense deeper into a person's true nature, something that bordered on pure instinct, brought about by his years of observing people to discover their strengths, weaknesses, desires, ideologies, and more, and for him, his ability to sense these things began with looking into a person's eyes.

When Roman looked into Cinder's eyes, he was frightened by what he could feel.

With no hesitation whatsoever, Roman stood up and shook her hand.

"All right," he began, "but if you want me working with you on this, I'm gonna have to establish some basic rules of engagement and operation. If you can't abide by these, my intelligence won't be half as comprehensive as it could be."

Cinder smiled at him. "I'm sure that won't be a problem." She pulled her scroll out of her purse and checked the time before reaching in and pulling out another scroll, which she handed to Roman. "Here," she said, "it's been reprogrammed. It will only receive calls from me. Expect one between eleven and two tomorrow. Be prepared for it."

Roman nodded. "Understood. I'll have some basic questions about these jobs of yours prepared by then."

With that, Roman left the room, followed closely by Neo. Cinder remained for a while, slowly finishing her drink and contemplating the meeting that had just happened. As far as she could tell, it was a success - she knew that relying on fear to keep someone of Roman's caliber loyal to her wouldn't last for long, but it was a worthwhile foundation on which to inspire genuine loyalty to her cause.

As she kept drinking, her thoughts turned to Jaune Arc. The boy didn't seem like much to her - he couldn't sense any of the (admittedly, very slight) killing intent she had given off during their conversations or on the plane - or if he had, he hadn't shown it. However, he might be a descendant of one of the Great War's most infamous warriors, and if true, he likely had connections to Atlas Academy faculty or Atlas Council members. Even if he turned out useless in a fight, he could be a useful pawn to control.

But… yes, it would be a worthwhile thing to test.

Cinder got up from her seat and left the room. She took a moment to observe the club - was a bit surprised to note that Roman and Neo had apparently decided to sit at the bar and eat dinner here - and finally saw the man she was looking for, managing the proceedings from the edge of the dance floor.

She approached him, avoiding the various men who she noticed trying to approach her, and addressed him.

"Junior."

"Miss Fall. What else can I do for you this evening?"

"I'd like to hire some of your men for a job."

"What kind?"

"Nothing too elaborate. I just need them to mug someone for me."

"So what you really want is for them to test this guy, is that it? How many do you need?"

"Oh, four or five should work."

"Works for me. Who should they be looking for?"

Cinder turned away from Junior. "I'll send you the details tomorrow morning. Just pick a handful of men for the job."

She walked out of the club, confident that this would be a profitable use of her funds. As she exited, she gazed up at the night sky for a moment.

"Now… what kind of skill will you show me, Jaune Arc?"

* * *

I walked outside and breathed in the night air. The meeting was relatively short, but Aurie, for all her awkward germophobia and friendly behavior, was a true professional when it came down to business. She'd investigated the personal documents I'd brought from home, and asked very precise and piercing questions about my personal history.

I was able to avoid actually discussing what my dad did by explaining my stints in juvie as the result of an abusive household. Which was technically true. I also explained that I didn't want to end up like him, so I left in order to try and make my own life in Vale. Also technically true.  
In the end, Aurie accepted my application for a room. She set me up in a cheap back room near a corner of the apartment complex. Normally it would have been outside my price range for a first floor room, but apparently there had been a _significant_ mistake made in the construction of the apartment and the first floor rooms didn't get AC through the same ventilation system as the rest of the building. This made them cheaper, but harder to live in in the summer months, so rent was reduced for them in the summer.

Which was just beginning. Lucky me.

Tukson waved at me and stepped into his car as I waved back before turning down the sidewalk towards a nearby fast food chain. It wasn't healthy to be sure, but it was better than starving myself, and I'd be able to get proper groceries tomorrow. According to Aurie, there was a pretty good grocery store a block or two in the opposite direction from where I was walking.

As I walked the block or so to the Papa Pete's Pizza Place (a subsidiary of the Pumpkin Pete's brand), a bright light to my right caught my attention, and I stopped to look at it.

The bright light seemed to come and go at a set interval, rotating around from the top of a tall building that was situated on top of a cliff face.

Beacon Academy. Specifically, the Beacon Academy lighthouse. I thought they had discontinued its use with the development of the city, since it was, indeed, very bright. Though I guess they still use it from time to time, maybe just to let passing airships know to watch out for it. Or maybe it was a signal for airships on patrol around the city.

Or- it could be anything.  
To me, it was a literal goalpost, shining bright in the distance. A sign of what I had to work towards.

"...soon. Soon, I'll be studying there. One way or another."

With that, I got a quick meal and then returned, showered, and slept on an empty bed.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Edited the Chapter**

I edited a bit of the conversation between Jaune and Cinder, specifically the bit about Jaune's lineage. As a result of further planning and lore-building, I decided to alter Gaius from being Jaune's Great-Great-Grandfather to just his Great-Grandfather.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: REVIEW RESPONSES**

 **Majin Othinus, JustunG, and Fingolf:**

Thank you for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy the story as it progresses.

 **Dumbass0:**

Thank you for reading! And perhaps more importantly, thank you for asking questions! I appreciate that- it show's you're paying attention!

Unfortunately I cannot answer most of your questions without revealing major character arcs or important events. However, I can tell you:

-This story will probably deviate quite a bit from the canon.

-Jaune's physical strength and combat prowess is _nearly_ on par with the Special Forces soldiers of our world. However, in a world where common people can have superpowers, that doesn't amount to much. To draw a comparison, think of him like Kiritsugu Emiya in a world where almost every other capable combatant is a Servant.

-Whether or not there will be character relationships is as yet unplanned. I'll probably see how characters develop as I write them and see if a relationship forms from there.


	3. Chapter Two: No Stranger to Danger

The Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Hey! Welcome back. Thanks for reading, and sorry this took so long. I don't upload chapters until the next chapter's rough draft is completed. Well, hope you enjoy, and please feel free to review.**

* * *

Chapter Two: No Stranger to Danger

It was early in the morning when I woke up. My Scroll's alarm had gone off at six, two hours before I had to get to work. It was quite the early wake up, but I was serious about getting into Beacon, and the only way that was gonna happen is if my abilities were up to par.

The first thing I did was a light warm up - some jumping jacks, and then kinetic stretching to get all my joints in motion. Neck rotations, shoulder rotations, hip rotations, pretty much every joint rotation you can think of. After that, I did some basic calisthenics to continue the warm-up. Pushups, situps, squats, the works.

Once I was all warmed up, I started practicing my hand-to-hand techniques. Nothing too serious- I was far from a proper martial artist. All I had been taught were basic boxing and kickboxing drills and some close-quarters strikes for disabling attackers. I had also been taught some basic grappling escapes and maneuvers, but they weren't the kind of thing I could practice without the assistance of a partner.

Afterwards, I got out my knife and practiced a few drills with it. It was lighter than my sword, and I was better with it, though I wasn't proud of that fact. I practiced a few thrusts, parries, slashes, and a few hand-switch techniques that were useful if my weapon hand ever got grabbed or to fool an opponent with a feint.

Once I finished with my knife, I brought out my sword - Crocea Mors, my ancestor's. The fact that I wasn't skilled in its use was, all things considered, my dad's fault. He never taught me how to use it - hell, he never taught me how to fight anything, only how to think. Everything else I had to pick up on the go, and I wasn't lucky enough for my dad to know any short-sword wielders.

I pulled the sword from the sheath and activated the mechanism that transformed the sheath into a shield. Once I had strapped on the shield, I began practicing basic maneuvers that were described in the combat manuals I had brought from home. I performed basic slashes with the sword - centerline cuts, diagonals, horizontals, cuts and stabs to the throat and torso, and a few blocking techniques with the shield as well.

I didn't consider myself skilled enough to combine the sword and shield techniques seamlessly, so I didn't bother trying to do so. Once I had performed my drills a few dozen times, I checked the clock on my scroll once again - Six-fifty.  
If I had had more time, and the necessary equipment, I would have practiced dry-firing with a pistol a few times for practice as well. But then, even if I had had a gun at the house, it's not like airport security would have let that past them. Only a fully fledged Guardian would have those kinds of privileges.

Which reminded me - I needed to make contact with some criminals. See if I could access the local black market, get a transcript to Beacon forged for me. And a gun, if I could find one. Without one, my effectiveness at medium to long range was virtually nonexistent.

In any case, I had to get to work. An hour was a lot of time, but I was new in town and I still needed to learn my way around the city. Plus I needed breakfast.

I grabbed my backpack, now empty, and put in a few basic essentials - one of my First Aid kits, my large Hunting Knife, my lockpicking set, and my multi-tool. I placed all these in the second section of the backpack, as I would be reserving the main section for groceries that I would get after work. I slipped my smaller knife in my pants, and placed my wallet and scroll in my pockets.

Speaking of my scroll, I turned it on and sent a quick text to Juli-

 _Hey Juli, I've arrived in Vale. Found a job and a place to live too- I got real lucky that my new boss was desperate for an employee. I'll call you after work._

-and then I stepped out of my apartment and locked the door behind me. I would have to thank Tukson again when I got to the store. A place like mine, for such a cheap monthly price? It really does pay to make connections, no matter where you are on the social scale of life.

I walked down the hallway and turned right towards the main entrance, and was honestly surprised to see Aurie already up and tending to the apartment. Less surprising was that she was spending her time dusting the lobby furniture. I waved a good morning to her and left the complex to begin my day.

Luckily, at this time of day most of the common thugs and delinquents weren't out and about, so I didn't have a lot of problems walking through town. Well, not that I would have had too bad of a problem to begin with. After getting things settled with Aurie last night, she and Tukson had told me of a relatively safe path from the apartment complex to the shop. It would be a rather long walk, following a road that basically served as the border between the slums and the city proper, but it was much safer than the path Tukson had driven us through.

* * *

On the way to the shop, I noticed a convenience store that was open early- an independant Vale brand, I figured, noticing the distinct lack of a Schnee snowflake on the signboard. The board itself read, "John's Quick Stop - Whatever you need, we can get!" A smaller board with smaller lettering underneath the main signboard added, "Within the limits of Vale law."

I chuckled and checked my watch. Seven twenty-five. I had time. I walked into the store and quickly glanced around to see what was available to me.

From the front of the store, I noticed a soda fountain in the back left corner, as well as an edge of the counter. A hot-food section - currently filled with what appeared to be breakfast sandwiches - followed along the left wall. On the right, closest to the door, a magazine and news section. As well as some maps. Those would be useful. Maybe an almanac would be around there somewhere. Separating the door from the cashier's counter was a few rows of, on the left, an assortment of snacks, and on the right, common toiletries and other such items. The back right corner of the store housed a refrigerated drinks section as well as a hallway that seemed to lead to the back offices, or perhaps the bathrooms.

Standing at the counter was a tired looking woman who, it seemed, was not quite the early riser that I was. She barely seemed to register my presence as I walked around the aisles, quickly taking stock of what the store had.

They had all the common brands - Schnee Sodas, Toothpastes, and the like - as well as a my favorite brand of cereal, Pumpkin Pete's. They seemed to have switched to a new celebrity mascot while I was in juvie, as Pyrrha Nikos wasn't on the boxes here. Or maybe it was a regional thing. Honestly, I wondered why they used her pictures in Atlas when she was a champion of the Mistral tournaments. Probably had something to do with the Atlesian Military frowning upon commercial sponsorships.

Instead of Pyrrha Nikos, it was a picture of Ozpin, the current Headmaster of Beacon. I suppose it made sense for them to market their cereal with one of the most easily recognized figures of the city.

I scouted out the book and magazine section next. They did indeed have maps of the city and country, as well as almanacs and tourist guides. They also had a few popular gossip and hobby magazines and a few popular novels. In particular, my eyes caught a weapons magazine that announced a new line of Atlesian Military model handguns. I had heard as such while in juvie, but it would worth my time to investigate the specifics of the new models.

In any case, I would compare the prices of the reading material here with those at Tukson before settling on a purchase - though I'd probably come back for the maps at least, as I didn't see any while I was working the store yesterday.

Still, I didn't have too much time to muck around. I grabbed a breakfast sandwich from the hot foods section, a bottle of water, paid the cashier and left.

As I left the store, I noticed a man standing at the corner of the store's wall. He was eyeing me. He wore a black suit, red glasses, and a red tie, as well as a black fedora. As he spotted me, he pulled out his Scroll and spoke into it.

…

Geez, be _more_ conspicuous, why don't you. I don't know who he's working for, but they should really hire better help.

I pretended not to notice him and moved quickly towards my destination.

* * *

Cinder sat in a car, waiting at the arrivals section of an airport. The car was nothing special - a simple black sedan, the type you would see anywhere you looked. It was legally licensed to her, though she hadn't bought it from a dealership or anything. Junior was good for a lot more than just information, it turned out.

As she sat, she continued to read The Third Crusade and took note of the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments it presented.

A few minutes passed before she received a text on her Scroll.

 _We've landed. We'll be out at the exit in 10._

Cinder opened the messaging app and replied swiftly before returning to her book.

 _Out towards the rear end of the pickup area. Black sedan, Sukima brand._

As she read, she uncapped a highlighter and took note of a particularly well-worded section - "Faunus philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world, and Mankind's mistreatment of the Faunus, in various ways; the point is to change it. Thus the White Fang enacts its Third Crusade against the unrighteousness of Mankind, seeking to overturn their oppressive rule with action - with revolution."

She continued reading before a knock on the window alerted her that her contacts had arrived. Cinder looked up from her book and smiled as she unlocked the doors to her sedan and popped open the trunk.

The two back doors opened as a young man and woman entered the vehicle after they had put their bags in the trunk.

The young man had hair that was metallic-gray in color, and he needed a haircut. His hair was rather long for a boy, the front bangs almost reaching down to his mouth such that he had to keep sweeping them to the side of his face. In the back, his hair was spiked up so well you'd think he used hair gel, but it was natural.

The young woman had a short bob cut of green hair, but the bangs in the front had been perfectly styled to angle downwards towards the center of her face. She had two extra long lengths of hair in the back that reached her waist.

Both wore simple, casual clothing - the man had on a t-shirt and jeans, and the woman opted for a loose-fitting shirt that hung off of one shoulder and booty shorts.

As they buckled in, Cinder drove off from the exit, heading out to her current base of operations. She started to brief them on the situation as they went along.

"I've established contact with Roman Torchwick and Junior Xiong," she began. "Junior's vast connections are proving even more useful than originally thought - as you can see. His goons are available for hire for small jobs, and the local government overlooks such things because of his value as an informant for both sides of the law. He has access to the local black market, and he can get us all sorts of things - architectural blueprints and floor plans, forged documents, weapons, vehicles, profiles on important figures up to a certain degree, etcetera. According to the man himself, asking for profiles on people in the Vale Council or local Huntsmen past the Seventh Rank would be effectively pointless as digging up dirt on those types of people would require a significantly better intelligence network. Which is where Roman Torchwick comes in.  
"Roman is cooperating as expected, though we're going to have to adhere to his rules of engagement during operations, at the very least while we're gathering intelligence. Unless I give a counteracting order, you will follow his commands to the letter during the coming missions. Is that clear?"

Both the man and woman nodded and replied with a succinct "Understood."

"Good. I contacted him earlier today, and he's surpassed my expectations. He's already come through with the first bits of information on our first target, as well as the local White Fang Captain and his Lieutenants. You'll get copies of their profiles as they're made - I expect you to keep up to date with them and memorize the effective bits. In your cases, I particularly mean their combat potential as is known.  
"Also, there's been a slight change of plans - Roman isn't the only person I've deemed noteworthy enough to consider bringing into the fold. On the flight over here, I met with a young boy named Jaune Arc."

"Arc?" the young man spoke up in reaction to the name.

Cinder glared back at him through the mirror for interrupting. She waited for his silence before continuing. "Yes, Arc. He claims to be the descendent of Gaius Caesar. Considering Caesar's relatively slim family line, there may be merit in acquiring his _cooperation_ in the future, as he might have connections to important figures in Atlas. To begin with, I've instructed Junior to look into him, and hired four of Junior's underlings to test Arc tonight. We'll be watching over the event from the rooftops. Now Mercury, you were saying?"

"It's not much, just that my dad had a rivalry - self proclaimed, of course - with another Assassin known as Jack Arc. If they're even remotely related, then we're gonna have to proceed cautiously with Jaune. If it turns out that we threatened his nephew or whatever, there's no telling how someone of Jack's caliber would respond."

"Is Jack Arc really such a threat?"

"My dad's not the only one who talked about him. He's a legend in the Assassin community - he got the nickname, "Jack the Ripper" because he once ripped a veteran Bushi limb-from-limb with his bare hands. Even if only half the stories about Jack Arc are true, they'd put him as one of the strongest Assassins in the world. Although, to get back on topic, whether or not he becomes a problem is strictly dependent on whether he's actually related to Jaune Arc."

"Yes, that will be an important distinction. However, I've already hired Junior's goons, so we'll make a decision based on the result of the test and Junior's information, when he gets it. Emerald, do you have any thoughts on our current situation?"

The young woman shook her head. "Not really. I've mostly operated by myself, so aside from a few fences back home in Mistral, I don't know much about the criminal community."

Cinder nodded. "Good. Have you anything to report from, Raven, Hazel, Doctor Watts, or Tyrian?"

"Um…" Emerald tapped her chin for a moment as she recalled what she had been told. She opened her mouth before reminding herself that she should speak accurately and to the point, as Cinder did. "Doctor Watts wanted to remind you that you'll have no help from the rest of the group. That our success here will be entirely dependent on our own abilities. He also said that he had an old colleague, a Doctor… M-something," she nervously coughed when Cinder glared at her for her forgetfulness, "-who operated out of a facility in Mountain Glenn. He said that if we had spare time, he would appreciate if we could explore the facility and recover any useful data or notes on the experiments that the Doctor had been conducting before the city's fall."

"Thank you Emerald. I'll have Junior look into the location. Is there anything else?"

"Raven also said to watch out for her brother. According to her, Qrow Branwen's typical activity is to patrol between the island of Patch, where he apparently owns a small property, and the City of Vale, taking a variety of routes to and from each place. He also teaches intelligence gathering techniques at Signal Academy every other year. Unfortunately for us, this is one of his off-years, so we're gonna have to be extra careful about planning things around him."

"Good to know. Someone of Qrow's caliber is above Junior, so I'll have Roman look into him."

With that, the car ride lapsed into silence for a few moments as everyone settled in and mentally reviewed the new information they had received. After they had done so, Cinder spoke up again.

"So how was your flight?" she asked. "It's longer from here to Mistral than Atlas, so it must have been boring."

"It wasn't too boring," Mercury shrugged. "They had a pretty good movie selection on the airship. I watched a documentary about Valese food. Apparently, there's a restaurant in the Eastern end of the Commercial District that makes this really good steak."

"...What was it called?" Cinder asked.

"Hmm? Oh, I wasn't paying much attention to what the guy was saying. I was just looking at the steak."

Cinder glanced back at Mercury through the mirror while Emerald decided to just turn and stare at him.

"What? It was a good looking steak! If you'd seen it, you'd understand."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Mercury. _I_ spent my time productively. I memorized the map of the Beacon Academy grounds and read part of the book you assigned to us."

"And what did you think of Scipio's _Commentaries on the Faunus Revolution_?" Cinder asked.

"To be frank, it was bor-" Emerald stopped herself. Cinder wasn't asking for her opinion. At least, not on an emotional level. She wanted to see what she had learned. She paused for a moment and gathered her thoughts, taking time to structure her sentences like her Mistress would. "Well… I initially went into it thinking that he'd be arrogant about the whole thing, since he won in the end and since it's a human writer talking about a war against Faunus. But he actually maintained a pretty neutral tone when describing the battles. He analyzed his own choices and those of his men as well as those of his enemy from as objective a stance as possible, pointing out mistakes on both sides and praising what he thought was well done."

"So what did you gain from reading it?"

"More than anything else, I suppose the biggest thing I learned from the whole thing was that you can gain a lot of advantage by choosing where you fight ahead of time and leading the opponent into a vulnerable position through strategy. The way Scipio's opponent, General Barca, used the terrain, in particular large bodies of water like rivers and lakes, to trap the Atlesian army into a bad position again and again proved that good strategy and tactics can negate a raw numerical troop advantage."

Cinder nodded approvingly of Emerald's analysis, though her syntax was notably unusual. Was she trying to emulate her? Cinder was flattered, but copying the skill of another could only take one so far. She'd have to encourage Emerald to develop her own sense of individuality as an Assassin. "Excellent. Take that to heart. Good environmental awareness is key to avoiding ambushes and traps as well as preparing your own. Never let yourself be cornered."

"Right. Of course."

Mercury scoffed. "I coulda told you that much. Environmental awareness is the most basic of basics for understanding combat."

"But can you apply that understanding, Mercury?" Cinder asked. "Tell me what you would do if you had been led into an enclosed space, where your kicking techniques are not as effective as they could be?"

Mercury shrugged. "Create space. Fire off a few rounds at the opponent's feet to make them back up and then use straight-line kicks to break their guard before finishing them off."

"Hmm… Satisfactory, given the scenario I presented. However, clearly you must improve your hand-to-hand technique if you must rely on your legs to such a degree."

"Understood, Ma'am."

With Cinder's judgement passed, they continued to ride through Vale. On their way, Cinder pointed out places of note and continued to verbally test her subordinate's skills.

* * *

I sighed tiredly as I leaned on the counter at work. The day had been slow- only two men in the last six hours, and only one had bought anything. So after I spent the first hour or so making a mental map of where all the books were, there was nothing for me to do but stand at the counter and wait.

Tukson was out dealing with his family stuff - a sick kid, he explained - so I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I should have gotten extra food ahead of time- a foolish mistake, one my stomach kept reminding me of. I wouldn't repeat it again.

As I ruminated on this, the door opened and a young woman with long black hair and amber eyes stepped in. She wore a casual shirt and jeans, and a rather large black bow on her head. I immediately stood up straight and gave a smile as I spoke the slogan to her.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun!"

She appeared to pause before remarking, "Oh right, Tukson did hire someone. I guess that's you?" she addressed me.

"Yes. Is there anything in particular you're looking for? Tukson didn't tell me he had any reservations set aside today…"

"No, just browsing. I like to come here whenever I have free time. Get away from the stress of- work, you know?"

I chuckled. "Well, this _is_ my work, so not really. But I get what you're saying. Almost any place with books is a good place to relax."

She smiled back. "Yes, that's true."

"Since you're a regular, I assume you know where everything is?"

"Yes, don't worry about me. I won't tell Tukson you were relaxing on the counter."

"Hey, I was doing nothing of the sort! I was just leaning forward to get a better look at the comics at the front of the store."

That gave her a chuckle. "Right, I'm sure you were." With that, she set off and began perusing the novels on the left side of the store.

Silence reigned in the store for a few minutes before she picked up a particularly trashy romance novel. I was well acquainted with its quality thanks to my sisters- well, the ones who were old enough to read such things. They insisted I read it in their sisterly book club because they "wanted a boy's opinion of the story". I informed them that the author seemed to lack any sense of literary skill and was only good at describing people, places, and romantic scenes in a semi-poetic manner so as to appease to the lowest common denominator of people who read romance novels.

I was subsequently no longer invited to participate in my sisters' book club.

I couldn't allow anyone else to pick up that filth, so I spoke up. "I wouldn't bother reading that if I were you."

She glanced over her shoulder at me before turning to face me. "And why not? I happen to be a fan of this author's works."

"I can't speak for their other works, but trust me when I say that _Ninjas of Love_ is a literary train-wreck filled with plot holes, inconsistent characterization, and erotic writing barely on par with the sort of bad fanfiction one might read on the net."

She assumed a facial expression that was half indignant sneer and half curious eyebrow quirk. "Oh really? Well, maybe it's just that I'm a fan of her other work, but now I feel the need to read it anyway just to see for myself."

I shrugged. "Well, I won't stop you from making your own decisions. But I will stand by my opinion that it's a bad book."

"So what would you recommend instead?"

I shrugged and said, "Well, that's basically the only 'romance' novel I've read, so without any sort of descriptor, I don't know what to give you."

"Well, I'm interested in fiction in general. Aside from romance, I like stories of heroes. People who fight for the good of all, that sort of thing. Or people who fight for a goal in general, doing all it takes in the pursuit of it. In terms of nonfiction, I mostly read history. Typically social history."

"Well…" I muttered for a moment considering her words. I then walked around the store and grabbed two books that I felt matched her description from both the fiction and non-fiction sections. " _Hamlet_ , by William Shakespeare, and Scipio's _Commentaries on the Faunus Revolution_. _Hamlet_ is about one man's quest for revenge and the struggles he faces in its pursuit when he discovers that his father was murdered. I like _Hamlet_ as one of Shakespeare's darker works, an analysis not only of the act of revenge, but of mankind as a whole. The _Commentaries_ are a historical narration and analysis of the politics, economics, culture, and military strategy that occurred between the author and his opponent, the Faunus general Ba'al Barca during the Faunus Revolution. It's a comprehensive and surprisingly objective account of the Faunus Revolution, despite the fact that it was written by the victor. I think these two fit your criteria."

She looked at the two books and read the more detailed summaries on their backs before nodding satisfactorily placing them both down on the counter along with _Ninjas of Love_. "I'll take them all," she smiled.

I smiled back. "Certainly." I rang them up and she paid for them in full. She refused the plastic bag I offered and carried all three to the door.

"I'll be back," she said. "And when I get back I'm gonna defend _Ninjas of Love,_ as a fan of Aiko Aiya, and as a literary enthusiast."

I smiled. "Sure! Just make sure you read the others as well. Oh, I'm Jaune by the way. Jaune Arc. What's your name?"

She gave a small smile before she answered, "Blake Belladonna. Nice to meet you, Jaune." With that, she left the store.

…

"Blake, huh?" I said to myself. "Nice name."

* * *

I yawned as I exited the store, locking it behind me. Tukson hadn't showed up at the end of the day, so I assumed he'd pay me tomorrow. I probably should have got his number - it would make communication more simple.

I'd have to get groceries on the way home… and a map, maybe some local guidebook at that convenience store. They'd help me get used to the area.

I made a quick check of the shop exterior to make sure all was secure, and set off for John's Quick Stop. I'd have to be quick if I wanted to get to both the convenience store and the grocery store that I had seen near the apartment.

On my way, I noticed another one of those guys from this morning. The same red tie, black suit, glasses and hat. Jeez, I thought, I understand using uniforms to indoctrinate people into gangs is a common way to help them mentally integrate into the gang and it's culture, but if you're going to be active on the street then you need to be inconspicuous. When you actually intend to commit a crime, it's better to not seem associated with your organization - otherwise your whole group gets flak, and you get blamed for the whole thing.

He eyed me as I walked down the sidewalk. I was better trained than him though - I kept my head straight on my destination, but my eyes wandered to car mirrors, glass, and the like. In their reflection, I saw him pull out a Scroll and make a report on my movements.

Fucking amateurs. I'd have to lead them into an alley or something, somewhere that no one would bother us, and vice versa- but I didn't know the area well.

Luckily, I was coming up on the convenience store- in and out, and I'd start moving according to the map. No time to waste on exploration today.

I got in, grabbed a city map and tourist pocket guide and bought them, quick as a flash. I opened the map as I walked out, making a point to ignore the fact that there were now two of the men from before.

I took some doing, especially on the move, but I managed to zero in on my location on the map, and cross-referenced the area with the pocket guide. According to them, there was an alleyway a few streets down that would be largely deserted this time of night - nothing but diners that were only open for breakfast and lunch in the nearby area.

I memorized the route and packed the stuff away in my backpack. Depending on how things went with these guys, I'd probably have to skip the grocery store.

I pulled my large knife out of my backpack and tucked it sheath-first into the front of my pants. It was annoying, but it was the only way I'd be able to both keep it hidden while also keeping it in an easy to reach place.

I picked up the pace, now followed by three of the men, who had noticed my less-than-subtle use of the map. Three was already a threat, but if they were this organized, they probably at had at least one more waiting in the wings somewhere.

Hopefully I'd make it to the alley before the last one showed up. They were lucky I knew what I was doing. A normal person would have panicked by now, tried to call the cops or otherwise get other civilians involved- but I bet they hadn't considered that.

Fucking amateurs.

* * *

Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury observed the proceedings between Jaune and Junior's men from the rooftops, occasionally moving to keep up with the chase - something they hadn't expected.

"I know he said he wanted to become a Huntsman," Cinder said, "but really, he thinks rather quickly for someone who's only been in the city as long as I."

"He's more observant than I would have thought," Mercury said. "The way he was moving earlier, I had thought he hadn't noticed Junior's goon following him. But since he made those split-second decisions to get a map and plan out some route, it's clear that he noticed him immediately."

"Speaking of his route," Emerald noted, "he seems to be leading the men into an alleyway. Oh, there's the fourth one."

"An alleyway?" Cinder muttered. "Why would he bring them there? It's deserted, so there's no chance of him getting any help."

"Unless he's confident he can take them," Mercury reasoned. "Or deal with them in some other fashion. Maybe he's gonna try to pay them off, and doesn't want people to see?"

"Possible, but I doubt it, considering the knife he stuck in his pants."

They followed Jaune and the four thugs into the alleyway, staying out of sight on the rooftops behind Jaune.

Jaune had cornered himself in the alleyway, and the four thugs had arrayed themselves in a line in front of him. Jaune had placed his map and book back into his backpack, and was standing in a low stance. His spine was bent low, but his head was upright, warily looking at the men and observing the situation. His hands were raised up at his shoulder level, and his knees were bent.

An amateur might take his stance as belonging to one who was unsure of themselves and frightened of what to do, but Cinder wasn't fooled, not after his quick tactical response to being followed. His hands were raised to his shoulders- ready to take action and strike or defend as needed. His knees were bent- ready to explode into a quick movement.

Jaune had been trained- and trained well. Cinder was certain.

"Who are you people? Who do you work for?" Jaune had asked the men.

"Ooh, I guess it's go time," Mercury noted.

Emerald snickered. "Well, good luck to him. I hope we won't have to bail him out or anything."

Cinder sneered at her apprentices. "Jaune has surpassed my expectations considerably. If you can't notice that he's about to kill Junior's men, then you two need more training."

Emerald looked to her Mistress. "Wait, kill them? Are you sure? He's been on the run this whole time!"

Cinder shook her head. "He was leading them here, a deserted corner of the city. He's good- anticipating the aftermath of the conflict, not just the conflict itself."

Mercury shrugged. "Jeez, do you have a crush on this kid or what? Sure, he's got a knife and found his way with a map, but two of Junior's guys have guns! I don't think he'll be able to handle-"

BLAM! BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!

* * *

I breathed a bit heavily - as fit as I was, it had been a while since I'd been able to properly do some cardio workouts. In juvie, the limited amount of space means that the most cardio you get is by playing team games like basketball. And while I was a damn good Small Forward, it's not the same as going for a run for a few miles.

The men stood in front of me, lined up in a row. The alley I had backed us all into was U-shaped, with the walls of different buildings making up the lines of the U. A large dumpster stood off to my left, and a few smaller trash cans stood near the doors of the buildings.

I glared at them cautiously. I couldn't draw my knife while in the open - that'd make my intentions clear, and it'd devolve the situation into a fight. The last thing I needed going on for me was to be involved with a gang, so I decided to ask a few questions.

"Who are you people? Who do you work for?"

The men looked at each other for a moment before one of them - the first one I had seen - stepped forward and pulled a pistol out. I noted that it was a Thor Model 122 - Atlesian military-grade firepower. Based on the shape of the barrel, it had been customized with an internal suppressor - so they wanted to keep this quiet, I thought. Who else was armed? Stupid question, they were all armed. But who else had guns? At least one more. At the worst, they all did - without any Aura, I'd need to rely on my reflexes and the environment to keep myself safe from bullets. Have to do this fast, before they can react. But who to leave alive?

There, the one in the back right - the fourth and last one to arrive - he's standing straight, but he's not rigid. He's calm, he's done this before a thousand times and never had any trouble before. Good. It'll be all the more shocking for him when he gets hurt.

What's the environment behind them? Wouldn't want to hit a civilian by accident - but it's fine, the alleyway goes on for a few hundred feet, and after going through a body at such close range, the bullets wouldn't go far, not at subsonic speeds. No one around at this time of day anyway. There's a noise on the rooftops - birds? Not important. I can feel the wind shifting, the pressure dropping - there would be rain later, contrary to the weather report. I can taste the filth in the street, particles rising in the air. Senses on overdrive. What's going on? Oh right, father told me about this - a combat focus. Body is warning me that this is only going one way. Preparing for the inevitable. The result of my training and experience. Fight or flight. Going to have to choose - if they don't choose for me.

The one who stepped up jammed the barrel of the gun into my shoulder, forcing me to take a step back with my right foot. He was a common thug, thank my lucky stars - he held the gun loosely, relying on its presence and his stance and stature to maintain control. His voice seemed loud - downside of the combat focus? Everything has its ups and downs. Ignore what my other senses are saying and focus on what's in front of me.

"That's none of your business kid. Sorry to say that there's nothing personal-"

As he was distracted with his words, I shot my hands out - my right hand grabbed the barrel and my left hand pushed against the back of his wrist in the opposite direction. Immediately the gun slipped from his loose grip. I quickly turned the gun over and gripped the handle. I took quick aim and fired one shot into the head of the one in front of me. The gunshot felt louder than it should have been with the suppressor - an effect of the focus as well. But I was used to this sort of noise.

Luckily for me, thanks to the way they had arrayed themselves in their show of force, I was left with a veritable shooting gallery of targets - in fact, they hadn't even reacted yet. I shot the two to my left in the head, and then quickly shot the one standing in the back right in his left shoulder at the joint - he had been reaching for something in his pocket, but I still needed my questions answered.

They seemed to drop in slow motion for a moment before my senses abruptly returned to normal. The one I shot in the shoulder groaned, but didn't scream. He tried to reach for something with his other hand, so I shot his right shoulder joint. I then walked up to him and stomped on his solar plexus, causing him to curl up involuntarily. I then kicked his face and his side, sending him sprawling away from the others.

I walked over to him and stood over him, looking him in the face. He scowled at me, determined not to break under the stress and pain. He was even more experienced than I initially gave him credit for.

I pulled my knife out of my pants and put it back in my bag- I wouldn't need it here. I pointed the gun - my gun, now - and shot him in the leg, through the artery. His reflexes forced him to reach for it, only for the pain in his shoulders to force his hands back down.

I knelt down next to him and started talking.

"That was your femoral artery," I began. "Considering your impressive willpower, you have maybe two to three minutes before you go into shock from blood loss, and maybe five minutes before you die. I'm the only one who can help you. If you want to live, answer my questions. Who are you, who do you work for, and who hired you?"

He spat at me. I shot his other leg, but this time I avoided the artery.

"That wasn't the artery, but having another hole in your body isn't helping your situation. Time's ticking."

He groaned in pain and said nothing. I said nothing in return - I simply pulled out my scroll and stared at the digital clock, tapping the barrel of the gun against his chest with every other second.

After a minute, he finally cracked. "Okay!" he wheezed. "I'm Kayle Cassidy. I work for Hei Xiong, an information broker! Everyone calls him Junior, and he runs a club as a cover, the Just Right! I don't know who wanted you dead, we don't get told that sort of thing! I just got a text that said to look out for you and mug you! That's all I know, I swear!"

I pressed the gun against the hole in his leg, causing him to wince. "You're completely certain?"

He nodded quickly. "Yes! That's everything I know!"

"Good. I'll help you now." I pulled the gun away from his leg and stood up before quickly shooting him in the head.

I rifled through his person and found another Model 122, as well as some extra ammunition. I checked his wallet - he was indeed named Kayle Cassidy - and found some Lien. He didn't have any documents on his person, but he did have a Scroll.

I checked the other three as well. All told, I got an extra 532 Lien, two Thor Model 122s with the suppressor customization, 6 ammo clips, 83 9mm centerfire pistol rounds, four Scrolls, and two machetes. I had to hand it to this Junior - he equipped his men well. If only they were trained as well as they were equipped, they actually might have killed me. I wasn't prepared for this - something I'd have to remedy quick.

I tore the pants of the men and used the cloth to bind up the holes in their bodies, to prevent any further bleeding - or at least keep them from bleeding on me. One by one, I dragged them all to the dumpster and threw them in. I then broke open five of the pistol rounds and sprinkled the Fire Dust onto the pile, and lit it all with a match. Even in such a small amount, that much Dust would burn most of their bodies to ash.

The rest of the evidence would be washed away with the coming rain - not enough to erase the blood's trace chemicals or prevent their discovery through UV light, but enough to wash it off visually and mask my own scent from any police dogs.

I packed up the items I had gained in my backpack and hauled ass out of that alleyway before someone called the fire department to investigate the smoke from the dumpster.

I checked the time on my scroll - I had missed the closing time for the grocery store.

I guess it was Papa Pete's for dinner again. I'd have to start adding runs to my morning regimen…

* * *

Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury stared down at what remained of the scene of the conflict. Black smoke rose in the air from the fire, and they had moved to stay out of it. Cinder sneered in mild anger, aware that she would have to pay Junior extra to cover the loss of his men. However, internally she was impressed with Jaune's actions - he didn't seem to be anything special physically, but his tactical knowledge and firearm proficiency were worth investigating, maybe even developing.

Emerald for her part, felt sick at what she had witnessed. She had stolen all her life to survive, but she'd never killed anyone before. She knew that the day would eventually come when she'd have to cross that line, especially if she was to serve her Mistress faithfully, but… That was a while yet. She hoped.

Mercury's mouth hung open in shock for a moment before he caught himself and closed it, hoping neither of the two women had noticed. Jaune's movements were nothing special - Mercury had seen much more impressive gunslinging alongside his father - but there was something cold about Jaune's technique. Something mechanical. There was no hesitation there, no grandstanding or gloating about his skill. Just an action and a result. Cinder was right, Mercury thought. I need more training if I couldn't see that coming.

As Jaune left the scene of the crime, Cinder looked at her apprentices.

"We've seen what we came to see," She said. "Regroup at the Just Right. I'll have Roman meet us on there. Hopefully Junior's file will shed some light on Jaune's history, but if nothing else, Roman will be of help."

Emerald and Mercury nodded before splitting up, Cinder following behind after giving the alleyway one more look.

He took their scrolls, she thought. And he's trained… Hopefully he lacks the technology to break through whatever security measure Junior's placed in his men's scrolls. But if he can break through...

She leapt off the rooftop and into the night.

* * *

Far above the city, a black disc floated in the sky. It made no movements or sounds, and simply existed, serenely watching over the scene.

Once the conflict was over and Cinder's group scattered, the disc began to thin, closing in on itself like an eye.

"Interesting," a deep, feminine voice could be heard from the other side before it disappeared.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE 1: RESPONDING TO REVIEWS**

To ObscureAbsurdity: Thank you! I hope I continue to impress as the story goes forward.

To Alvelvnor: Thank you for reading! I must say, I love the ideas behind writing intrigue and it's easy while we're dealing with small-scale crime and such, but the end goal is global geopolitics so I can only hope my skills improve as the story goes along.

To the Guest: Thank you for reviewing! Although I'll probably use "killing intent" at some points, I do understand why it can be grating on some readers.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: THE GUARDIAN RANKING SYSTEM**

You may have noticed Cinder's remark that Junior would be useless in finding information on Guardians past the "Seventh Rank". In this AU, Guardians are ranked in an international system that allows the nations to keep track of freelancers and offer missions to Guardians who meet the skill criteria.

 **Guardian Rankings**

A ranking system based on a Guardian's ability (both intellectually and as a combatant), personality, and work experience. Amongst freelancers, this system is managed by the International Guardian Organization (IGO), a collaborative effort amongst the four nations. Rankings are more or less equivalent with Officer rankings in the Atlesian Army.

"Handymen" are people who graduate from Guardian Academies but refuse to license themselves with the IGO. True Freelancers, they have more leeway in their operational capacity but their reliability is hit-and-miss. Occasionally, these people end up as Assassins simply to make ends meet.

Upon entering a Guardian Academy, students are considered Rank Ten, the lowest rank. Ascension through the ranks while a student is possible by taking on missions, but it does not happen often.

Upon Graduation, fully fledged Guardians are automatically ranked up to Rank Nine if they have not already ranked up while a student. Rank Nine is the highest rank a student may obtain while at an Academy, with the exception of special cases (i.e. if a student had a particularly powerful Semblance, was nationally recognized for their actions during a crisis or achieved success in a particularly difficult mission while a student.)

Students going through an Academy are often colloquially referred to as "Rank 9.75", "Rank 9.5", "Rank ninety-five" etc. depending on what year they are. Typically this denotation comes from fully fledged Guardians as a form of light hearted teasing.

In regards to Handymen and Assassins, rankings are often granted within government records based on their reputation and tales of their prowess and success.

 **Rankings:**

 **Rank 10:** The lowest rank. New students to Guardian Academies. Only allowed to go on basic city patrols or minor Grimm hunting missions alongside teachers or professional Guardian escorts.

 **Rank 9:** Low Rank. Allowed to go on Hunting Missions in teams. Occasionally provides aid to local government. Allowed to carry Hunting-Grade weapons on public transportation on a national scale.

 **Rank 8:** The highest of the Low Ranks. Often participates in Local Government, and provides aid on a city scale. Allowed to go on Grimm Hunting missions of 20 medium targets (Beowolf or Boarbatusk) or smaller in a team. Legally allowed to establish a permanent residence near civilians (Handymen and Assassins lack this right because of their extralegal status, though a few who are well hidden often do so anyway). Teammates required at this rank.

Allowed to carry Hunting-Grade weapons on public transportation on an international scale.

 **Rank 7:** Initiation into the Medium Ranks. Solo missions are now allowed for Hunting missions of 5 medium targets or less. In teams, allowed to hunt small Hordes (30 or less medium targets or smaller). Allowed to hunt individual Large targets as a team. Bachelor's degree in some subject is required.

 **Rank 6:** Medium rank. Solo missions allowed for investigative and intelligence gathering missions. Allowed to solo hunt Medium targets numbering 10 or less. Allowed to hunt up to 2 Large targets as a team.

 **Rank 5:** Minimum rank required to teach at a Guardian Academy. Degrees in the specific field of study are, of course, required. Allowed to hunt Hordes of 50 or smaller Medium targets as a team. Allowed to solo Hunt up to 15 Medium targets.

 **Rank 4:** Often solve problems on a county-wide scale. Often at this stage, Guardians have established a permanent position of some sort. Few Guardians at this rank or higher roam and freelance. **People like Qrow, who are highly ranked but often wander, are the exception rather than the rule.**

 **Rank 3:** Lowest of the High Ranks. Often deal with problems on a regional scale. Political/leadership skill becomes increasingly more important than combat skill at these ranks. Allowed to hunt Large targets as an individual. Only 17 living Guardians hold this rank. Master's degree in some field is required.

 **Rank 2:** Middle of the High Ranks. Often deal with problems on a national scale. Allowed to hunt Hordes of 50 or less medium targets solo. Only 10 living Guardians hold this rank.

 **Rank 1:** The highest publicly known rank. Often deal with problems on an international scale. Skilled beyond measure and equally intelligent, at least in terms of tactics and strategy if nothing else- though often they have doctoral level knowledge in some related field, or several. Since the end of the Great War and the founding of the Guardian System, only 20 people have achieved this rank. Only 5 living Guardians hold this rank, though there are Handymen and Assassins who are capable enough to qualify as equivalents.

 **Rank 0:** Secret operatives, typically perform counter-terrorist missions or internal investigations as well as investigations of national and international concern. Also have access to secret records. Publicly shown ranking is often listed at 4 or higher, and the individual in question must be at least that rank. This ranking is granted after an individual distinguishes themselves on an international scale. At least 2 out of the four nations must offer support of granting this rank.

 **Ranks A10-A1:** An unofficial rank that is nonetheless used in government records for Assassins. Since Assassins are typically more reknowned for their combat skill than their ability to manage civilian groups, perform crowd control and investigations and the like, these ranks are often used as a determiner of the danger that individual Assassins pose. Of course, even if their main skill denotation is combat ability, rankings are adjusted based on an Assassin's personal skills. For example, Roman Torchwick's combat ability is only comparable to other Assassins in Rank A5, but his skills at information gathering, political strategy, and interpersonal manipulation increase his potential danger to Rank A1.

 **Rank EX:** A special Rank used in Ozpin's secret files to denote people capable of raw Magic. For example, Maidens and (people who have mastered the use of) Silver Eyes.


	4. Chapter Three: All-Nighter

The Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

* * *

 **Author's Note: New chapter, woo. Jaune just can't rest. Not yet. So far, you haven't seen much of what he can do- and you still won't for at least two-to-three chapters.  
Hope I can keep you interested until then.**

 **Read, Review, and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter Three: All-Nighter

I collapsed on the floor of my apartment - after putting my pizza and energy drink on the kitchen counter, of course. I didn't want to buy an energy drink - the liquid carbs would be killer on me, but I needed the caffeine. I wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

After giving myself a few minutes to rest, I got up and brought my laptop out, turning it on and connecting to the apartment's wifi. I opened up a proxy and then brought the pizza over on to the table.

I then rummaged around my backpack and brought out the things I had gained from the encounter, double checking each item and making a mental list of what to do with them.

First of all, the four Scrolls I had obtained from Junior Xiong's men. If nothing else, they could be useful as spares, a quick source of Lien, or, with a bit of work, a carrier for some computer viruses. Right then, however, I was hoping that they'd lead me to whoever called in the hit on me.

The two red machetes… eh, not my style, but they were constructed well enough. I'd place them around the apartment where I could grab them quickly in a pinch.

The guns would be incredibly useful. I'd keep one on me at all times, and one in the apartment. But where to put it? I'd think about it another time. I had six ammunition clips total… Combat effectiveness on the go is paramount. Five with me at all times, and one in the gun that stays home.

I loaded all six clips with the ammunition I had with ten rounds each, leaving me with eighteen extra bullets. I could save them for later, when I had spent a clip, or I could crack them open and use the Fire Dust inside for something else. Whatever, that would come later.

Back to the scrolls… I'd need my laptop to crack their security measures. I brought them over to the table, and grabbed my Scroll charger. I removed the wall-outlet dongle and plugged the USB end into the laptop, plugging the other end into Kayle's phone. I then opened up a program on my computer that would release a virus through the charger wire, which would destroy the Scroll's security measures. It was high grade stuff- and it used up a ton of RAM, so I'd basically have to restart my old computer each time I did it with each Scroll.

While I waited for the virus to do its work, I ate a few slices of the pizza and checked my texts. Juli had texted back from this morning:

 _Wow J, that was fast! I suppose it's to be expected though. You've always been self reliant. Anyway, everyone's doing fine. Good luck with the Beacon exams. Can't wait to hear from you tonight. 3 from Everyone_

I felt bad knowing that I wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with a call tonight, since I had to find out who was after me. Still, they deserved to hear from me, so I texted Juli again.

 _Hey Juli, sorry I'm texting back so late. Things were hectic at work and I had to close up. I'll text you again tomorrow. And I promise I'll call tomorrow night._

With that done, I did some reading on Dust chemistry- especially Fire Dust. The primer I had bought organized itself in sections according to the four primary Dust types, and then each section was further divided into chapters of increasingly technical information. It started out with a recap of common knowledge about each Dust type, and then went into each types physical properties before really delving into their chemical compositions and reactions.

Considering that all I had on hand was Fire Dust, I naturally focused my reading on that section. I glossed over the introductory parts, and read up on some of the common chemical reactions with Fire Dust. As one might expect, the vast majority of Fire Dust reactions caused either an ignition of Fire or an explosion appropriate to the amount of Fire Dust on hand. However, a few chemicals exist that can render Fire Dust inert- though it has absolutely zero use at that point, aside from maybe serving as a paperweight. Naturally, their use is a safety method of last resort for companies that use Fire Dust regularly.

I'd have to do more reading later, however- the virus had done its work, and Kayle Cassidy's phone was unlocked.

* * *

"What do you mean, you can't get his information?"

Junior shrugged, before returning to cleaning glasses behind his bar. "I mean it's above my pay grade, Cinder. I talked to my guys in Atlas, and none of them even know that a 'Jaune Arc' exists, or have any records about his supposed family members. If he hadn't actually killed four of my guys, even I'd think you were making him up. More realistically, he's in with the Atlesian government or something, and that's outside my reach. Sorry, but I can't help you with him."

Cinder nodded solemnly and thought hard about her next moves. Jaune Arc was a ghost- which meant his hypothetical connections to high-ranking Atlesian officials were likely more than just a theory. However, what those connections were, would be the ultimate determination of his value and threat potential. Considering his skill, despite his young age, it was likely that he had been trained since his youth to serve as a sleeper agent for the Atlesian government. So he was likely highly nationalistic to Atlas, but a skilled liar. If she could find out more about him, she might be able to convince him to join her, or at least aid in her planned attacks on Beacon and Vale at large.

But… That would be risky. She had no idea if the personality he'd shown her so far had been genuine, so she couldn't even make predictions of his behavior from that. Sure, he went so far as to get a job and apartment in the city, but for all she knew, they could be part of his plan for some deep cover operation. If she wanted to know more about him, she'd have to either rely on Roman, or make further contact with Jaune himself.

Cinder nodded, a plan forming in her mind. But first, she'd have to reconcile the cost of Junior's men. "I understand. Thank you for your attempt, Junior. You may keep the advance I gave you for the information as an apology for losing your men."

Junior nodded. "I appreciate it. Is there anything else I can do for you this evening?"

Cinder almost shook her head, but remembered her earlier conversation with Mercury and Emerald. "What do you know about-" She lowered her voice, "Jack the Ripper?"  
Junior stopped in his tracks for a moment before firmly placing the glass he was cleaning back under the bar. "Unless you've got a death wish, don't get involved with him. He's outside my pay grade- and considering what you've paid me so far, he's _definitely_ outside your ability to hire. He is, bar none, the deadliest Assassin in the world. I heard he got his nickname by ripping a Bushi limb from limb with his bare hands, and that he once killed a Valese Councilman - and four guards! - with nothing but a fountain pen."

"Do you know his last name? Does he have any family? Where was he last seen?"

Junior shook his head. "No, and none that I've heard of. Though considering his reputation for womanizing, it wouldn't surprise me if he had a few bastard kids roaming around Remnant. Last I heard of him, he pulled off a big assassination in Atlas - an SDC family member, I think - before making off with about three shipping containers worth of Dust and related paraphernalia. Since then, he's gone off the grid. No one's seen or heard from him in two years."

"I've heard that his last name may be Arc," Cinder supplied Junior with the bit of information she had learned from Mercury earlier.

Junior scoffed. "Lots of people think his last name is lots of things- sometimes, you get Mistralian martial art schools that spread the rumor that he's related, makes them look good to the underworld. No one knows who he really is, or if Jack is even his real name."

"Is it possible he's died?"

"Definitely not. If he died, the whole world would feel the effects. Guardian activity against the underworld would jump, and the nations, even Vale, would probably start enacting harsher anti-Assassin laws."

"You seem to hold him in high esteem."

"Look, if there was only one thing I'd tell you about Jack, it's this: Most of what I know about Jack the Ripper is from my parents, who were in charge of the business back when Jack was still highly active."

"Highly active? Was his activity in decline before his disappearance?"

"Yep. About seventeen or eighteen years ago, he stopped taking on so many jobs. No one knows why, but the rumors that suggested he was just getting old stopped being spread when a couple of Rank 3's and A2's wound up dead in a fight with him. That was about ten years ago. He kept declining after that, and two years ago he dropped out of the race entirely. But I'll tell you, if he was dead, like actually dead, you'd know it. Even if you hadn't heard of him before."

"If he's so powerful, how is he so unknown?"

"Well seeing as you're a rookie to our life, it makes sense that you wouldn't know. Hell, some of my own rookies think I'm making him up when I talk about him. But trust me, ask anyone who's been in this business for at least ten years, and I guarantee they'll all have the same opinion. Take it from me, Jack the Ripper is the strongest A1 rank in the world. Hell, I bet he'd even give old Ozpin a run for his money."

Cinder blinked. Give Ozpin a run for his money? Well, it made sense for someone like Junior, uninitiated to the truth, to underestimate Ozpin's power. Still, if this 'Ripper's' reputation was truly so great, it may be worth her time to investigate, whether for use in her upcoming missions or later down the line serving her Mistress. "I see. Thank you for telling me what you know. Would you happen to have any private rooms available?"

"I've had your usual room reserved ahead of time. Would you like anything sent up?"

"I'll have the salad of the day, and as for a drink… Surprise me, would you? Oh, and whatever my apprentices want as well."

Junior nodded. "Understood. Will you be expecting Roman tonight as well?"

"Yes, but he can pay for himself."

Junior chuckled. "I'll let you know when he arrives."

Cinder gave a curt nod in appreciation and then turned away from the bar, heading towards her private room. Emerald and Mercury, who had been watching the proceedings as well as the club from opposite ends of the bar, followed closely after her. Apparently Mercury had been chatting with Junior's bodyguards, the two young women in red and white dresses.

Cinder didn't think much of them- or really, anyone in the room. She wasn't confident that she could best them all if it came to it - she _knew_ that she could. That was what she had been taught to do.

…

Once they arrived at the private room, Cinder sat down in a seat and her apprentices sat in the seats in front of her.

"Report," Cinder said.

Emerald began, ever eager to please her teacher. "Junior's men are pretty standard for a civilian club. They'd probably be able to handle the average drunkard, but even if Mercury or I had to fight them alone, we could probably make do."

"And what makes you think so?

Emerald breathed deeply, preparing her analysis. "They're well equipped, but poorly trained. Pretty much everyone out on the main floor moves like fresh recruit or someone with less than a year's experience in Junior's shadier business. They swagger around like they're strong, but lack the ability to be hiding any real strength behind their pretend power. He probably keeps his capable men in reserve for some of his actual operations and freelance jobs. The only people on the floor we'd have trouble with are Junior himself, and his two bodyguards… the girls, the ones in red and white dresses."

"Melanie and Miltia Malachite," Mercury supplied. After both Emerald and Cinder looked at him in surprise, he shrugged. "I talked to them. They're nice girls. Melanie wants to start her own fashion line, and Miltia is attending the local community college. Apparently she wants to go to med school."

Emerald blinked, even more surprised than before. "Right... them. They seem… relatively, well trained and experienced. It wouldn't surprise me if Junior took them on his personal missions. They had their eyes on you and Junior, but also watched me even as they spoke to Mercury. Based on how they move, I'd assume they're martial artists, like Mercury, but nowhere near his level."

Mercury nodded. "Definitely not. Miltia- that's the one in the red dress, she focuses on using her hands in combat, with claw-type weapons. Melanie uses bladed shoes for kicking techniques. They've been practicing for a long time, but they don't focus on their combat skills as much as their dreams. I'd give the both of them thirty seconds total, tops."

"And what of Jaune Arc?"

Her apprentices were taken aback by the question. "What?" Mercury asked.

"We've established that Junior is of no threat to us. Roman and Neopolitan… we don't know enough about either of their combat abilities to really gauge their strength. But we've seen Jaune Arc in action, and I want you to discuss whether or not he'd pose a threat to us."

Mercury shook his head. "Definitely not. He took out, what, three of Junior's rookies and one actually capable guy? We could do that with our eyes closed."

"Yeah. I mean, come on Cind- Ma'am," Emerald corrected herself quickly when she caught Cinder's glare. "He's pretty impressive for a civilian, but he's still just a civilian."

Cinder sighed. "You two haven't been paying attention as well as you could have. I know that I'm the one in charge here, but that doesn't mean you can just slack off on your training and expect me to keep track of everything. If you ever caught something strange that I didn't see and didn't report it to me because you didn't think it mattered, then for all you know that would mean the difference between success and failure."

"So what do you know that we don't?" Mercury asked.

"You know the same things I do - you just haven't connected the dots. I first informed you that Jaune Arc had been on the flight with me from Atlas, and he informed me that it was his first time in Vale. He seemed unfamiliar with the streets and had to purchase a map and tourist guide when on the run from Junior's men. Now, on the assumption that that wasn't a show of ignorance because he sensed us watching him and was intentionally misleading us - which is a safe assumption, considering the safety measure I had Emerald enact - then he is genuinely unfamiliar with the streets of Vale, and came up with his inverse-ambush tactic on the spot while running away from four men. That sort of quick thinking, combined with his tight, efficient, and cold-blooded show of combat skills, implies that he has military training and experience. He may have even been trained in Atlas S.E.R.E. techniques, in the city and perhaps the country or other forms of terrain as well. And when you add in his effective interrogation of Kayle Cassidy and his methodical clean-up procedure afterwards, then that suggests a further skill set."

"Military intelligence," Mercury furrowed his brow in thought, now beginning to connect the dots himself. "A sleeper agent?"

Cinder nodded. "Yes. That was my assumption as well. Which means that although he may not be able to fight on par with Guardians of Assassins of our caliber, his tactical and strategic knowhow may be of some use to us."  
"Wait, hold on," Emerald interrupted. " 'Sear'? I get what your point is, but I've never heard of that before."

"Ess-Ee-Are-Ee. 'S.E.R.E.' It stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. It's an elite military training program that Atlas uses to train black-ops groups, like Specialists or intelligence agents, techniques about how to survive in enemy territory when on the run from them."

"Okay, but how does that relate back to whether or not he's a threat to us?"

"If he's a sleeper agent sent from Atlas to Vale, then that means he's likely here to destabilize the city, and further, the country. If that's so, then he could be useful to us, as our long-term goals would coincide with his. However, just like Roman and Neopolitan, even if he agrees to cooperate with us to a shared end goal, there's no telling if or when he may betray us to his own country. In which case, we would have to eliminate him- so I ask you again, what do you think of Jaune Arc's combat capacity?"

Emerald and Mercury took a moment to breathe and process what they had been told. Each of them attempted to recall Jaune's race through the city and his confrontation with Junior's men in as much detail as possible, seeking any sort of small detail that might influence their final judgement.

Finally, Mercury spoke. "Based strictly on what we currently know, then if we fought on even ground, spontaneously, I think we'd wipe the floor with him. However,"

"If he learned about us," Emerald continued, "our fighting styles, our skills and especially our Semblances, and had time to plan and obtain resources to combat us, then he might edge out a victory against one of us alone. But he wouldn't take us down without getting hurt, and even if there were only two of us against him, I don't think any plan he made would be able to account for the extra manpower."

After a moment, Cinder smiled and nodded her approval. "Excellent. It took some prodding, but you reached the same conclusion that I did. However, much like with Roman, such considerations may not be necessary if we could convince him to ally himself with us permanently."

"Ally who with what now?"

Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury all jumped up and assumed their combat stances when they realized the room had been compromised, only to groan or sigh when they realized it was just Roman.

"Roman?!" Cinder yelled. "How did you get in here? Junior was supposed to let us know when you'd be here!"

Roman shrugged. "Yeah, well, he forgot. Oh, your salad is ready, Cinder." With that, the door opened normally and Neo walked in, pushing a large rolling tray of food. A small assortment of party appetizers - mozzarella sticks, spicy chicken wings, garlic bread, and the like - adorned the tray, along with Cinder's salad and her small glass of alcohol.

Cinder groaned internally. Her apprentices hadn't ordered, so it seemed that Roman just ordered for the group. She could only hope that Roman would be covering this, as she had asked Junior.

Sensing her ire, Roman spoke up. "Don't worry about it boss, I covered this one. Filched a few rich guys on my way over here."

"Aren't you supposed to be hiding from the authorities?"

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to do that when you can change your appearance at will."

Cinder knew what he was doing - trying to guide her thinking into believing that his Semblance was some sort of transformation. But she knew better - it was likely a side effect of his apprentice's Semblance. Still, no reason to tell him it was useless bait.

"Anyways," Roman said as he picked up a plate of garlic bread. Behind him, Neo closed the door to the room. "What were you guys talking about? Ally ourselves with who?"

Cinder thought for a moment before deciding to move forward with her investigation. "Jack the Ripper," she said, testing the waters.

"Pfft- ahahahahahahah-" Roman began laughing in Cinder's face, only to stop when she narrowed her eyes in anger. He coughed quickly before speaking, "Cut the bullshit, Cinder. If you know about him, you know he's off and ghosted himself outta the business. No one's seen him for-"  
"Two years," Cinder finished for him. "Very well. Then how about another name?"

"Sure, who?" he said before popping a piece of bread into his mouth.

"We've identified him as a potential Atlesian sleeper agent, someone who may be interested in destabilizing Vale. If he is, we could use him and his expertise to make the tactical planning and execution of our missions go more smoothly."

"Oh, the guy you sent Junior's men to kill? What was his name, anyway?"

"Jaune Arc."

Roman promptly dropped the plate of food he was holding, and it shattered on the floor, spraying bread crumbs and shards around the area. His face was contorted in clear shock and incredulity, as though he couldn't believe what he had heard. Beside him, Neo had similarly been shocked by the name, her hands now covering her mouth and her eyes wide in what seemed to be fear.

"I'm sorry," Roman coughed after swallowing heavily, "but WHO THE FUCK NOW?"

* * *

"Dammit!" I swore, pounding my fist on the kitchen table. Kayle Cassidy's phone had been completely worthless, along with the rest of the phones I'd taken from Junior's goons. They had contained nothing more but my name and a picture of my face. The picture of my face was especially disconcerting, as I could recognize the background of the image as belonging to the area behind the counter of Tukson's Book Trade. Which meant that whoever wanted me dead:

-Knew where I worked

-Probably knew where I currently lived

-Was skilled at tracking and evasion techniques; much better than Junior's own men, if they could get such a recent picture of me without my noticing

-Was probably one of the three customers from yesterday; no, that didn't make sense, Junior's men were watching me long before those three women came in, and Adam Taurus was the only one to come in the day before once I started working there

-Had to have taken the picture on my first day of work, somehow

-Potentially had some very high grade technology if they were able to take such a clear picture through the store's glass window

-Potentially had an invisibility Semblance, or something among the lines of sense manipulation or illusions, but the odds of such a thing were slim

-Could... probably have killed me already if they were capable of taking the picture without my knowing?

The last line in my mental list made me pause. Yeah, that was true, I thought. If they could get such a clear picture of me without my knowledge, especially such a recent one, then they certainly could have killed me themselves. So why hire some freelancers to do it? Did they want a scapegoat to blame on my death? Did they underestimate me? But if they want me dead, they clearly know who I am, so why would they hire amateurs? Maybe… they hired the cheapest muscle available fully knowing I would kill them, in the hopes that my doing so would incite the gang's retaliation so they would kill me for free? That idea seemed needlessly complex and highly unreliable.

Do they even know who I am? Did another Assassin hire cheap help with the idea that either Junior's men would take care of it for them, or at least they'd get to see what I'm capable of? I didn't notice anyone watching from the rooftops, but I did hear something during my combat focus… but that's another unreliable lead. Even if someone had been watching me take care of Junior's men, they'd be long gone by now. And if someone had been watching, they could have just jumped in and killed me after the fact when I was busy dealing with the bodies.

What did they stand to gain from my death? If they knew who I was, they probably knew who my dad was, so they probably knew not to fuck with him, or me by extension. Unless they deliberately wanted to draw my dad out? I hadn't heard news of him since before I got into the detention center, so maybe he was in hiding again? But no one who knows about our situation is stupid enough to attempt that sort of gambit.

So… what? Did they just not know who I am? If that was the case, why hire these people to kill me?

I shook my head and put down the energy drink before going over to the sink and splashing some water on my face. Damn, when the caffeine hits, it _really_ fucking hits. My mind was racing, but going nowhere fast. All I knew for certain was that someone placed a hit on me, and that it came from someone who hired Junior Xiong, who ran a local club called the _Just Right_.

A club... I wonder if they were open this late?

…

The rain had stopped long ago, but the streets were still wet with the runoff. I avoided a puddle as I ran, before stopping at my destination.

I stood in front of the entrance to the _Just Right_. It seemed to be a multi-level complex, as a dull light could be seen glowing through several floors worth of the unassuming exterior. From the outside, it appeared as nothing more than a common building, with arched windows patterning the walls from top to bottom. This side of the building held a single entrance that led directly into the club. An entrance on the other side allowed access to the other floors.

From the club entrance, the dance floor opened out directly in front of guests. On the left side of the room spanned a rather impressively lengthy bar, able to accomodate a significant number of people. On the right, stairs led up to private rooms where people could hold meetings or personal parties.

Naturally, I had done a measure of research before coming here - I wasn't about to just charge in blindly and fight everyone in the club for no reason.

Junior Xiong owned the club, and while I couldn't find anything saying so, I assumed that either he or his organization owned the property as a whole. It would make sense - that way, whatever illegal activities were performed there would be secure from any accidental civilian involvement. He himself liked to run the bar, and as a matter of fact had a degree in mixology. His house DJ liked to wear different animal heads while playing, for some reason, and he had two business associates who helped him run the clerical side of the business, Miltiades and Melanie Malachite.

On the other side of things, it was incredibly likely that everyone he had on staff was at least somewhat involved with his criminal business. I didn't know much about Junior himself, but he was probably a capable fighter. As for Melanie and Miltiades… bodyguards, I would assume, so certainly capable in their own right.

Equipment level? If the rest of his club was as well kitted as the four men I had killed, then a full frontal assault would be suicide for someone of my skill level. No, I'd have to be cautious about this. But I didn't have the skills or necessary equipment to try and sneak in… so I'd have to go through the front, but not in an offensive maneuver. No, I'd be invited in.

A bouncer guarded the door, turning away common folk trying to get in - this time of night, the club shut down for regular customers and only allowed "VIP's" in… I suppose the process to become one was rather self explanatory for those in the know of Junior's 'side business'.

I walked up to him, and preempted his words by giving him Kayle Cassidy's ID, as well as those of the other three men I had killed. As he looked over them, his eyes widened in understanding and he glared back at me.

"Tell Junior that Jaune Arc would like a word with him in private," I said.

…

It took a few minutes, but I was finally let into the building. After a quick pat-down, in which they found nothing because I didn't bring anything with me, one of Junior's goons let me into the club and oh my god, did they all really wear the same uniform both in the civilian part of the club _and_ while doing criminal work? What the fuck was Junior thinking? It made sense for the club workers to have a uniform to distinguish them from customers, but why would he make them do their _other_ work in the same uniform? How has he not been caught yet? The fuck?

I shook my head to clear it. Obviously the caffeine was still in my system.

The club itself seemed nice, I suppose. If it weren't for the fact that the employees probably had it out for me, it was the kind of place I wouldn't mind spending time on a weekend.

I would absolutely _tear up_ that dance floor.

In any case, the goon I was following motioned for me to keep up, and I followed him up the right staircase towards the private rooms. He led me to the far back, towards a door at the end of the walkway.

Once I got in, it was clear that this was Junior's private office. The area up here behind the DJ booth hosted a large mirror, and on this side, it was evident that it was a one-way mirror, as from this end, the club as a whole was clearly visible from Junior's desk, situated at the back end of the room. Behind the desk, a large metal bat - presumably Junior's weapon - hung on a rack.

He sat on a comfortable looking leather chair, which seemed to be built to stand such that even a tall person wouldn't touch the ground while sitting on it. In contrast, the chair in front of it seemed to have particularly short legs. In essence, the arrangement was designed to give Junior a sense of psychological superiority by having him sit higher than most people he'd meet with.  
How plebeian. It was such a basic tactic that I'm pretty sure even a child would recognize this blatant attempt at ego stroking. Honestly, Junior seemed less and less capable the more I learned about him. I didn't know what his Rank was, but it couldn't be any better than A6. And even then, that was just me embellishing him because he had a rather large organization backing him up. I didn't know anything about his actual combat skill.

The rest of the room was pretty barren, which was honestly respectable for a crime boss. Normally a civilian might imagine that Junior would stuff his office full of stolen trophies like artworks or expensive paintings, or some other thing relating to a hobby of his. But he probably reserved such luxuries for his private rooms. It was just his desk, a chair, a few filing cabinets for documents, and a large oval table with chairs arrayed around it- for meetings, I supposed. The meeting table was covered in an assortment of legal pads and writing utensils. I wasn't sure if he had just had a meeting or was just using it to lay things out to make visualization easier. Didn't matter to me, though.

As we passed the meeting table, I filched a steel-barrelled pen off the top of it. I hadn't brought any of the weapons I had. After all, even if his men were incompetent, there was no point in risking the loss of the weapons I had gained through a pat down.

As we approached the desk, I hid the pen behind my left hand.

"Jaune Arc," Junior said. "I'm Hei Xiong, but as you know, everyone calls me Junior. Please, take a seat."

"I'll stand, thanks." I replied.

He nodded before motioning with his hand and sending his lackey away. Considering that I'd killed four of his men, he was being awfully casual with his safety. Admittedly, none of them had Aura, but being alone with me was definitely a risk to his safety, unless there was some hidden area where more men were just waiting for a signal to jump out and defend their boss. Though considering his inadequacy up to this point, I doubted he had such an elaborate safety measure established.

After his goon left, Junior reached under his desk. He pressed something and a soft hum emanated from the floor before he remarked, "There. Now we won't be heard."

"A soundproofing system? Expensive stuff."

Junior shrugged, not even looking up from his paperwork. He signed something with his right hand before replying, "You need it sometimes, with clients like mine. Never know when anyone might be listening… Anyways, what do you want?"

I raised an eyebrow. "The man who killed four of your men comes to meet you in person, and you don't care?"

"If I cared about every man who died working for me, I wouldn't get much done. We're criminals- danger comes with the trade. But I can guess that you didn't come here just to question my ability to manage my men, so what do you really want?"

"Nothing too hard. I just want a name."

"A name?" He barely seemed to register my presence. Well, I suppose after his little chair ploy failed, it was all he had left as far as psychological tactics go. Still, he could only go so far by playing dumb.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. The name of whoever put out the hit on me."

Junior looked up at me. "If you're at all acquainted with how we do things, you know that that's not something I can do for you. If I just gave out information on my clients, I wouldn't be in business for long."

"Would you be willing to sell that information?"

Junior scoffed. "Please. Money can be lost and regained, but customers who trust you are far harder to come by. Any information regarding my clientele is not for sale."

Well. A crime boss with a code of honor. Call the presses, we have a miracle!

…

Yeah, whatever. I supposed Junior was a better businessman than criminal at any rate. He was smart enough to recognize that a loyal consumer base was more important than short-term profits, but that didn't help me any. I had run out of ways to persuade him to do this peacefully. If I knew more about him, or had more time to research him, then that might not have been the case, but… I didn't have that sort of luxury. Time to switch tactics.

I extended my right hand towards him. "Well then, Junior Xiong, I appreciate you taking time out of your evening to meet with me. While this was a… contentious first meeting between us, I hope that in the future we might meet under more profitable circumstances."

If nothing else, Junior was a businessman. The possibility of turning a former enemy into a regular customer was something pretty much any businessman would seek out, within reason of course. Still, even though I'd killed four of his men, I was an anomaly in the underworld, a new face in Vale. And with the hint of future work ahead of me…

He looked at my hand for a moment before standing up. "I agree," he said, taking my hand into his. "Hopefully some other time, you might seek me out for-"

...

Contrary to popular belief, Aura's passive defensive mode is not impermeable. It is not a literal force field that absolutely covered the surface area of a person- if it were, then oxygen or food would not be able to pass through without a person deliberately turning off their Aura.

And even when it's up, it's not completely without weakness. The development of weaponry in particular is a field largely advanced by Assassins, as most of the different modern variations of weaponry, particularly those used for close combat, were originally designed and field tested by warriors attempting to kill Guardians for profit.

Piercing attacks are especially capable of penetrating Aura with enough force, especially when the person is caught off guard.

Like right now.

I shifted the pen in my left hand to a backhand grip and stabbed it into his forearm with as much force as I could muster. There was a crack as it pierced his Aura, a dull grayish colored, ethereal film. As he screamed, I tightened my grip with my right hand and grabbed his elbow with my left, turning and heaving him across his desk into his little chair. Now, with me between him and his desk, he couldn't access the desk or any controls he had on it.

He slammed into the chair sideways and it fell over, taking him with it before he rolled onto his feet, stood up and put his hands up in a basic boxer's stance.

Say what you will about his ability to manage and train recruits or his organization, he definitely wasn't one to go down without a fight. However, toughness aside…

He has Aura. And he's a crime boss, someone who organizes and manages criminals rather than typically performing crimes himself. So while he might be capable, it's likely been quite some time since he's seen actual combat. And people who have Aura tend to rely on it too much for protection, neglecting their own defensive, observational, and other related skills.

Still, unless he was particularly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, he likely wouldn't be able to take me down - especially not with the pen still jutting out of his dominant hand. It's probably been a long time since he's felt physical pain that intense.

In fact, he was tearing up right now, even as he rushed forward and jabbed with his left hand. Yep, I was right- it's been a while since he's been hurt. I wonder how long it's been since he's worked as an actual active Assassin. Probably as long as the club's been active, so… ten years or so?

Time to remind him of what it means to really be an Assassin.

…

Wow, that felt terrible to think. Here I was, trying to escape that life, and now I'm acting proud about it just because I'm fighting. I need to get myself together and focus.

I ducked under the jab and used both of my hands to push his solar plexus. It wasn't anything that would hurt, but it forced him to back up and sent him off balance. I followed it up by rushing forwards and stopping just in front of his range. Just in time, too- he threw another punch, a left hook this time, which missed, and I passed under again and slammed my right hand into his floating ribs. His Aura flashed with the hit, but Aura only protects you from damage- not pain. So while his ribs were probably fine (my hand hurt like shit from punching his Aura unprotected, mind you) he still felt the pain of getting punched in the ribs.

If you've never felt that before, lemme tell you. It fucking hurts.

Still, he toughed it out and stepped forward, into my guard and threw a right straight at me. Props to him for throwing a punch with his injured arm, but it was a mistake on his part. I dodged outside the punch and grabbed his wrist before slamming the bone of my elbow into the pen that was lodged into his forearm. Since it had already breached his Aura, it was free to pass further into his arm, tearing up more of his muscle and causing him immense pain.

Speaking of pens…

As he squirmed in my grip from the pain of my last attack, I twisted his arm and performed another throw, sending him onto the large oval meeting table this time. As he rolled to get off, I grabbed two more of the steel barrelled pens and held them in a backhand grip. I'm not a big fan of the backhand grip when using a knife - it decreases your range, power, leverage and the number of angles you can attack from - but with pens, it was the only grip I could reliably use.

He rolled off onto the opposite end of the table, leaving it as a barrier that separated us.

Fuck. I miscalculated. He could make a break for the entrance, get his henchmen to shoot me down or even just rush me with sheer numbers-

Wait, why did he get back on the table- oh shit!

I dodged to my back-left as he leapt of the table and delivered a jumping roundhouse kick with his right leg. As he landed, I kept up the momentum of my movement and ended up behind him. I raised both my arms up, intending to stab the pens into his shoulders. But he instead jumped again, backwards into me, slamming me into the table. As my back hit the edge, I felt one of my lower ribs crack, and I screamed as I dropped the pen in my left hand. I refused to go down though, so I took advantage of my position and wrapped my right arm around his neck. I stabbed the pen in my right hand into his mouth, hitting his tongue, before letting it go and placing my right hand into the bend of my left elbow and completing the back choke. I transitioned it into a "Blood Choke" by using my free left hand to push down on his head, forcing a restriction on his carotid arteries.

One might assume that Aura is a perfect defense, but it's really not. Aside from what's already been said, it's also worth noting that Aura doesn't protect you from grappling and strangulation. If someone with Aura was choked with a garrote wire, for example, the Aura would prevent the wire from cutting into their skin, but it wouldn't do anything about the fact that the wire was cutting off the victim's air and blood flow.

While my arms weren't exactly as effective as a garrote, I had practiced this technique thousands of times, and performed it a few dozen times. I knew what I was doing.

Junior, realizing what was happening, reached his right arm up and began jabbing his elbow into my side. Thankfully, that wasn't the side with my fractured rib, but he was clearly aiming for my liver. I pushed forward off the table as I held on to his neck, and then jumped and wrapped my legs around his torso, forcing him to trip and fall forward. He turned as he fell and my back slammed onto the ground, but that was a gamble that didn't pay off for him - I managed to hold on, and now the choke was textbook perfect. He couldn't get up, roll over, or do much of anything, and I just had to wait and hold on until he stopped struggling.

As a testament to his toughness, Junior managed to last a whole forty seconds before his limbs went limp.

…

Junior woke with a start when I splashed some water on his face. It helped that some of the water went up his nose- inadvertent suffocation tends to activate the survival instinct in people.

When he realized that I had duct taped him to one of the chairs, he stopped his struggle. He bought the good shit- this was Military Grade duct tape, used by the Atlesian Military to patch the occasional hole in their equipment. It's adhesive strength was _outrageous_. It was probably ironic to him- who knows how many unfortunate people ended up in similar chairs, with Junior the one seeking information?

Oh, how fortunes can change.

"Okay Junior," I began. "Let's make this easy, huh?" I set the bucket down and walked over to him and grabbed what little I could of his hair, forcing him to look me in the eyes. "Who ordered the hit?"

"Fuck you," he said. "I'm not telling you shit. You don't live as long as I do by being a snitch."

"If you don't snitch, you won't live much longer than you have," I answered. He watched as I walked behind his desk, and grabbed the large metal bat off of the rack. It was heavy - must have weighed upwards of thirty pounds. But manageable for this.

I carried the bat with both my hands, taking note of its structure. It could transform- into what, I didn't know, but there were enough seams in the outer surface to make that clear.

I grabbed the bat's handle and swung with all my might towards his shins. His Aura held, but flashed as he roared in pain.

"The name!" I roared back before taking another swing to his shins.

After another roar, he spat at me. I took the opportunity to take another swing at his shins. This went on for several minutes. Though he had Aura, he was already injured, and there was no way for me to know when he'd run out of it. I had to be careful to just hurt him, without actually injuring him.

After another scream, he quieted down, crying softly from the pain. I set the bat down on the meeting table and walked up to him, squatting down in front of him.

"How much longer will your Aura hold up, Junior?" I asked, looking up into his face. "How much longer until I break your legs? How many swings until I cripple you for life? We can answer those questions together, Junior… or you can answer the question I want you to answer. A name. That's all I ask for. One name, or I can kill you right now. If you give me the name, there's no certainty that you'll live another few days, that's true… but if you don't, I can guarantee that you won't live to see the sunrise this morning."

After a few seconds of silence, I walked back towards the bat.

"..nder." Junior muttered.

"What?" I asked, turning around to face him.

He raised his head and glared at me. Tears of pain streamed down his face, and practically spat out the name. "Cinder Fall."

I did my best to not react to the name, and I think I did okay, but inwardly I was screaming.

 _WHAT THE FUCK?_

* * *

Roman rushed forwards and grabbed Cinder's shirt. Or he tried to, but Emerald and Mercury stepped in, Emerald hooking the blade of her gun around Roman's neck and Mercury raising a leg and placing a steel boot on his chest, stopping his movement.

"Say that name again," Roman demanded.

Cinder was completely nonplussed, and she showed it. _Does he know Jaune? Did he teach him? Is that why he's such a good actor? But if he did… I'd have to reevaluate him. He may not be an Atlesian sleeper agent if he's associated with Roman._

"Jaune Arc," Cinder said, keeping her voice as calm as she could.

"Oh no no no no no no no," Roman stammered, slipping out of Emerald and Mercury's hold on him with ease and pacing around the room, continuing to talk to himself. For their part, Emerald and Mercury lowered their weapons and stared at Roman, occasionally looking to each other in confusion. "Bad bad bad bad bad. What's he doing in Vale? Is it for one of _his_ jobs? Is he back? Oh, he won't like this, he doesn't like when people threaten his family…"

Cinder grabbed the front of Roman's clothes and slammed him against the wall. "Answer me, Roman! What's the problem? Who is Jaune Arc?"

"He's the last person you should get involved with. If you get him involved, the White Fang won't matter, hell, the Valese government won't matter, we'll die. We're just gonna fucking die because you had to-"

Cinder slapped Roman across the face. "Stop panicking! Answer me Roman. Who? Is? Jaune? Arc?"

Roman took a deep breath before steadying himself, standing straight up against the wall. "He's the son of Jack the Ripper."

…

"What?"

* * *

 **Author's Notes 1: Replying to Reviews**

 **(in order of review since the last chapter was posted)**

ZenithTempest: I used Emiya Kiritsugu as a strength comparison not simply as a question of Jaune's raw strength in comparison to those of the other characters, but more of a way to relate the way Jaune fights with the way the others fight. Like Kiritsugu (perhaps Batman would have been a better comparison?) Jaune is a tactical, analytical fighter. He doesn't do big, flashy, superpowered moves, he sticks to tried-and-true techniques that bring down opponents as effectively as possible. And it's not like Kiritsugu couldn't take out a Servant by himself (*WITH PREP TIME*), but that's a case of arguing about Fate power levels, so let's not go there. Remember, Jaune is trained as an Assassin, while most of RWBY and the other Beacon students were trained as Guardians. There is a marked difference in the way both groups fight, which will be made drastically clear whenever Jaune fights a Beacon student seriously (which won't be for a while).

As for Jaune's seemingly sociopathic reaction to murder- he's not a sociopath. He just hasn't allowed himself to calm down since the attempt on his life, and he hasn't had time to reflect on it.

In any case, I'm glad you enjoyed reading, and I hope you continue to do so.

Guest: Thank you! I have every intention to keep this going.

Guest 2: I agree, the info dumps are a bit annoying, but I feel they properly serve to inform the audience the basic differences between the fanfic and canon, as well as serve to flesh out the minor details that are unnecessary to discuss in the main story. In any case, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

ObscureAbsurdity: The first repeat reviewer! Woo! And yes, I understand I have a tendency to ramble on. Part of that is just my writing style, but I do think that there is a part of it that lends well to the first-person perspective of Jaune's stream of thoughts. Though as with all things, it definitely has room to grow. Hope you rest well, and thanks for reading.

* * *

 **Author's Notes 2: The Complete Rundown on How Aura Works**

 **-Aura Awakening Ritual:** Can be Awakened by others through a simple ritual, though the words spoken tend to change depending on who is doing the Awakening. The words themselves don't matter, they're simply a way to help the person concentrate on the ritual. The only way they matter is whether they matter to the person speaking them- for example, the words often reflect a personal philosophy of the speaker.

 **-Personal Awakening:** Aura can be Awakened by a person without the aid of another. Typically this requires significant amounts of training and meditation, though it has been known to Awaken as a result of immense trauma or stress. Scientists associate this sort of Awakening with a sort of survival instinct similar to the "fight or flight" response, except such that it grants a person enough superhuman abilities that they might be able to escape or fight with ease. As far as modern science can tell, there is no distinct difference between the abilities of those who have had their Aura Awakened by others and those who do it themselves (aside from any innate differences brought out by their individual personalities and combat styles, etc.).

 **-What Aura Does:** Aura prevents damage from physical impacts (slashing, piercing, crushing, explosions, etc.) as well as temperature related injuries/illnesses (burns, frostbite, heat exhaustion, etc.). It also protects against chemical attacks (acid, etc.) to a minor extent, though it depends on where the acid is thrown. It can also protect the body from internal attacks, such as basic poisons (alcohol, common drugs, etc.) or minor illnesses (the common cold, chicken pox, the flu, etc.). Even with major illnesses, such as chronic diseases, having Aura will help alleviate the person's symptoms. Aura also provides a small boost to physical abilities (average boost varies from person-to-person and is somewhat dependent on the person's natural physical ability) and the senses, as well as a passive defensive shield. Aura is also typically used to power a person's Semblance, unless their Semblance is explicitly powered through other means (for example, someone whose Semblance is related to the absorption of electric energy does not have to use their Aura to power up their Semblance, assuming there is enough electrical energy to power it up to begin with.)

 **-What Aura Can't Do:** Aura cannot protect the user from attacks that enter the airways, such as pepper spray or an aerosol poison. It also cannot protect the user from suffocation (drowning, strangulation, etc.) or the constriction of the bloodstream (such as how Jaune defeated Junior). It cannot protect the user from the effects of sudden environmental changes, such as a sudden bright light or loud sound as might be emitted from a flash-bang. In fact, the slight boost to the senses that Aura provides tends to exacerbate the effects of such a weapon. While Aura can prevent and cure illnesses to some extent, it cannot heal innate faults of the body, such as disabilities present from birth (blindness, etc.) or certain diseases (cancer, etc.) While Aura protects against poisons, similarly there are some poisons that are too strong for Aura to protect against- though this depends on the person's own innate strength. Aura's defensive shield is not a perfect, impenetrable fortress. With good timing, the element of surprise, and enough force, a person can penetrate a person's Aura even if they have previously received no damage.


	5. Chapter Four: Discussions

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Apologies that this took so long to publish. I was busy with personal matters.  
**

 **A slower chapter this time around. Life acts most when you aren't looking.**

 **Please, read, review, and I hope you enjoy.**

Chapter Four: Discussions

I collapsed on my bed at home. After dealing with Junior, I had left him tied up in his office. When I left, I told the guard standing by the door that Junior had asked to be left alone for a few minutes to make a business call. He was wary, but he seemed to buy it, since he just stood by the door as I left the club.

I won't lie. I ran home as fast as I could. Looking back, it was reckless of me to charge into Junior's home base unprepared like that, but it would have been worse if I had waited. If I had allowed time to pass, he might have prepared counter attacks against me, increased the defenses of his club, or even just increased his men's training regimen. No, it had to have been that night, when the wound was still fresh.

Still, I had just humiliated and tortured a significantly powerful crime boss- powerful enough that he had a public business that civilians could walk into at almost any time, and no one in Vale was willing to stop him. He probably had connections in the local government, enough to stay open without issue. Maybe he sold them information…

Didn't matter. He would probably be pissed. I'd have to be careful about where I went in the city. I'd definitely have to stay away from that district, at least. And I'd have to prep my apartment's defenses.  
And make a plan for what to do with Cinder Fall.

I brought up my Scroll and flicked the screen on. Two A.M. I had work in six hours… Considering what I'd been through yesterday, I thought I could afford to skip my workout routine. So, if I rushed to get up, I could get a solid five hours of sleep.

The clock face changed. Two-oh-one. Well, four hours, fifty-nine minutes.

I placed the Scroll down, closed my eyes, and breathed.

 _BLAM! BLAM-BLAM-BLAM! Gunsmoke filled my vision and the smell of lit gunpowder filled my nose as I fired four times, three of them kills. The last shot was made to injure- I still had use for one of them._

I kept my eyes forced shut, and breathed.

 _I stood up from where I knelt over Kayle Cassidy's form. After a quick chamber-check, I pointed the barrel of the gun at his head. His eyes widened with fear before I fired, and then the light left them forever._

I kept my eyes forced shut, turned onto my side, and breathed.

 _The stench of burning flesh made me gag as I lit the four bodies on fire. The Dust-fed flames consumed their bodies quickly, their skin melting, their eyes popping, their bones cracking. The blood boiled up, bubbling across the refuse of the dumpster._

I kept my eyes forced shut, turned onto my back, hugged myself, and breathed.

 _Hei Xiong screamed with pain, the sound rattling my bones as I slammed his own metal bat into his shins. Each impact made a sickening crunch as the force of the hit rattled up the bat into my own arms, turning them to jelly. But his legs would go before my arms would, if I could just keep up my strength. But the screams..._

I kept my eyes forced shut, turned onto my other side, hugged myself, assumed the fetal position, and breathed.

 _A little girl whimpered, her white dress turning red as a knife-_

"NO!" I screamed, rocketing up in bed, my eyes shooting open to check my surroundings. I was home. Safe.

I breathed heavily before checking my scroll again. Two forty. My throat was dry.

I got up and went to the kitchen before pouring myself a glass of water. I drank slowly, trying to calm myself down. But it wasn't going well. His voice echoed in my head again. It always did when I took a life.

 _Don't let it get to you, kid. You've gotta get used to it. After all, killing is in your blood._

I shook my head violently, and took a deeper sip. "No!" I muttered to myself. "No. That's your blood, not mine. Not mine…"

* * *

The Lady sitting on the throne wore a long black gown that went past her legs to obscure her feet. A dark purple cloak draped over her shoulders and provided some padding against the crystalline chair's harsh back. Her skin was a deathly white pallor, though it was interspersed with red lines running across it, as though some of her veins had been brought to the surface of her skin. A black crystalline substance in the shape of a diamond was stuck in her forehead. Her white hair was done up in a bun, with six cylindrical offshoots that contained various crystalline jewelry of uncertain purpose.

Her bright red eyes pierced through the portal in front of her. "You are telling me that you may have accidentally incited the ire of the most infamous Assassin in recent history?"

On the other side of the portal, Cinder cringed with embarrassment and fear. "Y-yes, my Lady. I had believed from my initial estimations that he- the boy, Jaune Arc, was nothing special aside from a potential Atlesian connection, but he turned out to be more capable and well connected than originally assumed.."

"You were not taught to make _assumptions._ " The Lady's voice was at a common speaking volume, and yet the pressure behind the words caused Cinder to feel as though the woman was yelling at her. "You were taught to _know._ To find out the truth, and use it to your advantage. Instead, you rushed into action without thinking ahead. Someone of Junior Xiong's caliber might not have been able to discover information regarding Jaune Arc, but you hired Roman Torchwick, the greatest intelligence agent in Vale. To not use him, even when you had access to him - _especially_ if you believed that Jaune Arc would be useful as an entryway to Atlesian politics - was foolish of you."

Cinder's head had long go hit the ground in her prostration, but she nevertheless attempted to bow lower, her spine bending down in Cinder's attempt to capitulate further. "I have failed you, my Lady. But I swear that I will accomplish my mission nonetheless. My meeting with the White Fang tomorrow will grant us a standing force in Vale, and once I have the Maiden's power-"

"Silence."

…

For several long seconds, Cinder held her breath in fear. Was she going to be killed? She had no way of knowing. If her Lady wished, she would die with a thought. But Cinder was too unimportant to be punished by the Lady herself - she'd probably be killed by Raven, coming through the portal to act as executioner. She'd probably-

"Raise your head, Cinder Fall. And look me in the eyes."

Slowly, Cinder did as she was told. As she looked into her Lady's eyes, she felt her fear wash away, and her vigour was renewed as a sense of loyalty. Looking into her Lady's eyes, Cinder felt the tiniest smidgen of mercy, and she thought that she might live to see the dawn.

"You have made a mistake, Cinder Fall. Learn from it. And _commit no more._ This is your only warning. Deal with the Arc family yourself - if Raven has to get involved, I will consider your mission a failure, regardless of the status of your goals."

Cinder slammed her head back onto the ground in further prostration. "Thank you, my Lady! I appreciate this second chance you have given me! I swear to you, I will succeed in all my tasks!"

The Lady nodded. "Remember. _No more mistakes."_

With that, the portal closed, and the Lady was left alone in her meeting room with one other woman.

The Lady looked to her right, at the other lady who had managed the portal. Long, wavy black hair hung down from the woman's head to her waist, tied into a ponytail and adorned with a red shawl. Alert red eyes shone from a fair-skinned, angled face. She wore a long-sleeved black undershirt on her torso, as well as a red-and-black v-neck. Red gauntlets covered her forearms and fingerless gloves protected her hands. A black pleated skirt adorned her hips, covered by a leather red fauld. An accessory made of bird feathers hung off her right side. She bore no weapons- at least, none that were visible.

"So, Raven," the woman addressed her ally. "How well do you think Cinder is going to handle this?"

Raven shook her head and sighed, holding her hands out wide in a shrug. "Unfortunately, for all her _femme fatale_ aesthetic tendencies, she's not very good at subtle manipulation, at least not doing so on the fly. If she had researched the Arcs ahead of time, she would have Jaune eating out of her hand. As it is, she's probably going to use Roman to find some weakness of Jaune's and use it to blackmail him into subservience and as a way to keep his father out of things. Knowing Jacob, he's probably had more kids than just Jaune, so Cinder will probably find out something personal about them and use that.

"I don't know much about Jaune himself, but if he's anything like his father, he won't take kindly to his family being threatened. However, unless they're close by, he won't be able to do anything about any threats Cinder makes. In which case, he'll begrudgingly go along with it while attempting to subvert her plans in subtle ways whenever he can."

"Do you think Jaune can be convinced to join us without blackmail?"

"It's possible, but not likely. If we told him everything, he might join us, but it's too big a gamble to make."

"What are the odds of Jaune seeking aid from Ozpin or other Vale authorities?"

Raven shrugged. "I don't know. All I know about the kid is that he's Jacob's son and has grown up receiving training from Assassins the world over. It probably depends on how close he is with his father. If he's close with Jacob and is in Vale on his behalf, he'll probably try to get word to him - which is the worst possible outcome. Hopefully, he'll just try and reach Ozpin."

The Lady raised an eyebrow. "You speak highly of Jacob Arc, to suggest that an outcome involving him would be worse than one involving Ozpin. Are you sure you are not simply biased because he trained you?"

"Make no mistake, Jacob Arc is the strongest human being I know of. The last time I fought him, I used my Maiden powers, and he matched me, blow for blow. If he had actually planned out a strategy for our fight, he probably would have beat me. He could probably take on all of us here at the Table, excluding you. If Jacob gets involved, the only resolution possible is a fight, and fights with Jacob don't end quickly, or quietly. On the other hand, we can monitor Ozpin, even bog down his time with meaningless political squabbles."

"Would it not be worth our time to convince Jacob to join our cause?"

"It would be, but I doubt he'd work for us. He works alone, and if we told him of our goal, he'd just demand money to solve the problem himself, or try and find some other way that he could personally benefit from the situation. In any case, no one knows where he is or what he's up to. Ever since he finished a job two years ago, he's disappeared off the face of Remnant. Even my government contacts have no clue as to where he's gone."

"Can you not simply use your powers to find him?"

"If it was that easy, I'd have done it when I heard that he'd disappeared. I don't know how, but he's beyond my reach."

The Lady nodded her understanding, her interest in the Assassin growing. Jacob Arc - "Jack the Ripper" - had disappeared. For Raven to rate him so highly was not merely because she held some love for her former teacher, it was because he was simply that powerful.

The only person who would even remotely know of his location would be his son, Jaune Arc. If he knew, then he would seek his father out- at which point, father and son could be dealt with in one fell swoop, one way or the other. Though if Raven's appraisal of his skill was accurate, the Lady herself might have to enter the battle.

On the other hand, if Jaune Arc sought out Ozpin's help, Ozpin could be dealt with more subtly, allowing Cinder to complete her plans with little interference aside from Jaune directly sabotaging her mission. Unless… he was given a reason to care. If he felt attachment for one of our group, she thought, his convictions to go against us would waver significantly.

The Lady looked up at Raven. "Cinder has a young apprentice of her own, no? A woman?"

"Emerald? What of her?"

"Suggest to Cinder that Emerald should befriend Jaune once he is forced to cooperate. If Emerald can successfully seduce him, Jaune will be more incensed to fully join our cause."

Raven tilted her head. "That seems like an odd straw to grasp at. Surely there are better ways to ensure his cooperation or silence?"

The woman shook her head. "We are severely lacking in intelligence regarding Jaune Arc and his family. This will merely serve as a way to hinder Jaune's ability to interfere with our goals until he and his father can be dealt with in a more complete manner."

Raven nodded. "Very well. I suppose it serves well enough as a backup plan- hopefully Emerald is better at subtlety than Cinder is."

With that, Raven stood up from her seat, bowed to the woman, and opened a portal. She walked over to it and paused to turn back to her Mistress. "I'll be back, Lady Salem." She said, before walking off into space.

"Be safe, my friend." Salem spoke to no one, replying as a formality.

…

"Well then," Salem addressed the three men who sat on to her left, who had waited patiently for Salem to address them. "Gentlemen. What are your thoughts on these developments?"

They spoke in order. Salem had trained them well.

"To begin with, I never had much faith in Raven's apprentice," the first man said. He was a bit tall and lanky, but his posture was firm and stable. His short-cropped hair grayed around the back of his head, and he had a distinctively bushy mustache cultivated on his upper lip. He was fair, but tanned, and had green eyes. He wore an elaborate customized suit- a gray overcoat with dull yellow linings covered a burgundy undercoat and yellow shirt. Gray pants and a gray belt led the way down to a pair of yellow socks and brown dress shoes. Red fingerless gloves adorned his hands.

Salem sighed as the man began his rant.

"She was always too eager," he continued. "Too hungry to learn as much as she could, to do as much as she could, as if she never figured out the dangers of biting off more than you can chew. She sees things too broadly, always looking towards her end goals, and never quite realizing the importance of the details of the present situation. I'm sure she's a capable combatant, but perhaps we should see if Roman Torchwick can teach her a thing or two about-"

"Enough, Arthur."

The man fell silent.

"Your criticism is not unfounded, but the issue of Cinder Fall is none of your concern. Cinder's failings are a reflection of her teacher's failings, and I'm sure Raven intends to correct them as they speak. What I ask of you is what you know of the Assassin known as Jack the Ripper and his strength."

"I know only that he is capable beyond my knowledge or understanding. When I still worked for the Atlas Military, I heard about him in rumors and whispers. I heard that he was the best, the strongest, etcetera etcetera- and professional to the extreme. So I, seeking a promotion to a leadership position, sent out word that I was looking to hire him and pay accordingly. He arrived with nothing but a sword strapped to his back and a simple outfit consisting of a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and sneakers. I told him who I wanted killed, and he demanded an appropriate amount for the job. I paid him in advance, and sent him off. Honestly, I didn't think he would complete the job."

"Who was his target?"

"No one worth remembering. He achieved nothing great with his efforts- he was simply in the way of my own advancement. However, due to an unrelated attack on another scientist - the fault of the White Fang, if I remember correctly - he and his family had been moved to live on base, and he had a twenty-four seven security detail of several dozen veteran soldiers and two Specialists. I knew Jack's reputation, but I thought such a challenge would be beyond him. And yet, as I learned when I read the report and watched the security footage later, he exceeded my expectations beyond anything I could have imagined. He slaughtered every single soldier on the base, and killed not only the two Specialists assigned for the guard - Rank 6's, in the IGO standard - but also another two who were called in as reinforcements. He killed the target, of course, but left his family untouched."

"There is footage of him? How does he fight?"

"With a longsword, typically two-handed. Though he is not above using anything and everything in his environment to aid him in a fight. Honestly, now that I know he taught Raven, her immense skill with all her weapons makes much more sense. He had a tendency to disarm his opponents and use their weapons against them, or take it from them upon their death."

"What can you tell me about his personality?"

"Very little, I'm afraid. Like I said, he is a professional. No word ever got out that I was the one behind the assassination. He is a bit curt and impatient when doing business- or at least he was. I suppose it's possible that he's changed since then."

Salem nodded. "Do you have anything else to add?"

Arthur Watts shook his head. "No, my Lady."

Salem then turned to the next man down the line. "Tyrian? What do you know about the Assassin?"

The man known as Tyrian grinned from ear to ear. His long, messy brown hair was tied up into a ponytail in the back. Bright yellow eyes shone out of an angular face. An open brown overcoat seemed to be the only thing he wore on his torso, as his bare but scarred chest was visible underneath. The coat's sleeves were short, and he protected his arms with leather graves. He wore white pants held up by a brown belt, and brown boots that went up to his knees. Like Arthur, he was lanky and lean, but even more so, almost spindly, like an insect.

He held the grin for an unsettling number of seconds before simply replying, "I know nothing, my God- my Lady," he corrected himself as Salem scowled.

"Very well then. Hazel?"

The last man was a veritable giant. Broad shoulders and broad arms, he stood as thick as a tree trunk, and had the height to match. His eyes matched his namesake, and his face was covered in a dark brown beard and sideburns. His somewhat bushy hair was slicked back, though a few strands stuck out of the ensemble. A black shirt and green overcoat barely contained the immense musculature of his build. Black pants led to simple leather boots, all built wide to satisfy his broad structure.

He said nothing for a few seconds, recalling his memories of the man, before answering.

"... I fought him, once."

Salem's eyes widened in surprise. Both Raven and Hazel had fought him? And he had lived? Perhaps he might actually be as strong as was claimed. She trusted Raven, but she still felt that her opinion of him was skewed by their past relationship as teacher and student. But an outside perspective of his strength, one untouched by a bias towards him- her mind became plagued with questions.

She knew Hazel well however, and said nothing. He would answer all that was necessary, in his own time.

After a few moments, he continued. "It was while I trained with the Yin Hu school, the Silver Tigers. At that time, I had already mastered Ba Ji Quan, Tai Qi, Shuai Jiao, and Wu Tang. Jacob Arc showed up to the school one day while I was still an initiate. He challenged the school, offering to fight whoever was willing. After several other students tried and failed, one of the senior students, who knew of my previous experience, suggested that I try my might against him. I did so and…" Hazel closed his eyes and breathed, as though remembering something unpleasant.

"His strength was… _monstrous_ , in the most precise sense. His techniques were nothing special- basic boxing, kickboxing, that sort of thing. Like someone who had been taught to fight as a soldier rather than a martial artist. And yet… the strength behind each blow made blocking his strikes a poor strategy. Someone with greater speed and endurance might have worn him down, but I could not. With his great strength, he tore through my defenses and left me unconscious. When I awoke, the school was in mourning, for one of the three heirs to the school had challenged him to a deathmatch and lost. Until he was brought up just now, I had no idea that he fought with a sword."

Salem narrowed her eyes. Not only had this man fought her two greatest combatants, but by their own admission, he had beaten them, and at their own specialties no less. True, in Hazel's case, Jacob had fought him before Hazel had achieved the pinnacle of his strength- but yet, he had bested him without the use of his favored weapon.

How much greater would he be with it?

And his supposed victories against Raven… well, the terminology she used suggested a draw, but she herself said that had he known of her Maiden powers ahead of time, he would have won. Not only that, but Raven herself owed much of her strength to this man.

Jacob Arc… Just who was he?

Salem pushed the thought aside. He was a threat to be sure, but a threat only if he took action. If he stayed silent, then she could focus her power on other things.

Like his son.

Jaune Arc… Raven had said that Jacob had brought him all over the world to train with famous Assassins, likely including Roman Torchwick, among other notable names. But that didn't mean much- what were his specialties? What was he truly capable of when pushed to the limit?

Did he love mankind?

Such questions were important to Salem, as they, and other factors, determined whether or not she could trust them to aid her in her goals. But then, thinking of Jaune Arc in these terms presupposed his usefulness and skill. If Cinder made good use of him, and if he proved himself thus, then she would have to look into him more closely. Otherwise, he could be discarded, like all the other supposed greats before him.

"I appreciate your input," Salem began. "Your new orders are thus: Arthur, you will use everything at your disposal to try and find Jacob Arc. Once you have exhausted every possibility, return to your work on the virus for the new line of Atlesian Military robotics. Tyrian, go to Vacuo and make contact with your old associates. See if you can find any trace of the Maiden of Choice. If you can, return to me with the information immediately. If you find nothing within three months, then return for new orders. Hazel, return to Mistral and continue to hone your skills. Take jobs if you wish, but refrain from killing the people we have discussed. Give me reports of your progress every two weeks."

All three men bowed their heads low and said, "Understood, my Lady," before they rose and filed out of the room.

Left alone, Salem rose from her throne and walked behind it. The throne itself seemed to be carved out of a large crystal - and it was - but that was not the important thing about it. The important thing was what it contained.

She placed her hand on the back, and let just the slightest bit of her power flow through, and-

The uncarved crystals on the back of the throne split apart, revealing her treasures.

She gazed upon them, remembering days long gone, when she and her allies had walked the land, among mankind, before things changed.

Instinctively, her right hand reached out for one, but she forced her errant arm back down. She could not take them… Not yet. Not while things were yet incomplete.

But she had waited many thousands of years for things to be right, and in that time, she had never felt more certain than she did now.  
Everything would be coming together, in due time.

* * *

"Hey Jaune, are you okay? You get enough sleep last night?"

My eyes shot open to see Tukson waving his hand in front of my face. I had been leaning against the back wall of the shop, and I had closed my eyes for just a moment… That was bad. If I couldn't keep myself awake for just one day after a single all-nighter, then clearly my endurance needed some work. How would I operate in a real battle if a single night without sleep made me fall apart?

But that was getting ahead of myself. I blinked a few times and answered, "I'm sorry, boss," before bowing slightly, a habit I had picked up in Mistral. It seemed pathetic, especially to those not from Mistral, but it was a useful way to garner pity in those who weren't aware of Mistralian custom. It made myself seem genuinely apologetic- though in this case, it helped that I was.

"I called my family last night to let them know about how I was doing. Unfortunately, due to the time difference, they kept me up until they were satisfied. I should have been more responsible and told them to let me sleep on time."

Tucson shook his head. "No, it's alright. Believe me, I know how insistent family can get when they want to know how you're doing. I've been on both ends of that dilemma… but still, if you need to take a break, I don't mind. Since I'm working today, it's alright if you just take some time off."

I shook my head and stood up straighter. "No.. It's alrith-" fuck, bit my tongue. "-egh. I'm fine, I can work."

Tukson placed both his hands on my shoulders and made me look him in the eyes. "Look, I know we don't know each other very well, and you're probably worried about losing this job for your own reasons, but I need you to stay healthy. If you can't work, then I can't take time off for my family, and I _need_ to be able to do that. It's okay. You have my express permission to take a paid break."

I blinked. "...can I get that in writing?"

Tukson sighed. "If it'll make you do it…" He grabbed a piece of paper, scribbled down our quick agreement, and signed off on it. "Here, now you're covered in court. Smartass. Just go take your damn nap, alright kid?"  
"Thanks, boss."  
"My name ain't 'boss', kid. It's Tukson."

"Right… thanks, Tukson." With that, I crossed the door into the back rooms- just in time for a customer to walk in, though I didn't see them.

There wasn't much in the back room- just a bit of storage space for the books, though there was a little "break area" with a couch, small coffee table, a sink, and a microwave and coffeemaker. I folded up the note he had written me and placed it in my shoe- even if he assured me that it was okay, I had to make sure I had as much leverage as possible.

I layed down on the couch and tried to get myself as comfortable as possible, before closing my eyes.

 _A little girl whimpered-_

I shook my head violently, trying to dispel the memory. No. No.

No.  
I'd been trying to move past that all my life, and I wasn't going to succeed anytime soon, but I could at least focus on a better memory.

Think of the family.

Think of Juli.

Think of mom.

Think of-

 _A light breeze blew through the hills of Arcadia, Atlas. It was nearing the end of Summer, and the temperatures were beginning to cool. The trees were still full, though their edges were beginning to brown, and the grass still shimmered with dew. The sun had only just begun to peer over the nearby mountain range, bathing the valley in a soft, golden light._

 _I laughed, giddy and free, as I chased my sister around a lone apple tree at the top of one of the hills. We were playing tag, and I was it. She laughed and teased that I would never catch her._

 _I never could._

 _But soon the game would have to be put on hold, because it was getting to be time for breakfast. Normally we wouldn't be out here for breakfast, but since dad was home mom wanted to do something together as a family._

 _And as his voice rang out, Juli and I laughed and agreed that I had lost before running down that hill, towards another, where our parents had set up a little picnic blanket and some food. Fruits, berries, sandwiches, the works._

 _We came up the hill, me behind Juli, and we saw them, their faces practically radiating with love and joy for our presence. Dad picked Juli up and put her on his shoulder, and Juli squealed with delight at suddenly being over seven feet tall._

 _I rushed up to mom and did my best to give her a tackle hug, but she caught me easily - she always did - and held on to me, laughing as I looked up into her face._

 _I don't remember what it looks like. Well… I do. I know what she looked like well enough to describe her, and we have pictures of her in the house. But for whatever reason, I can't remember her face in this moment._

" _So what do you want to be when you grow up?" my mother had asked. I don't remember what prompted the question._

" _I want to be an artist!" Juli had said. One day, I swore, she would be allowed to realize that dream. Even now, she hadn't fully given up on it._

" _I want to be a hero! The strongest hero ever!" I had said. My father had laughed. I didn't understand his laughter then. Weren't heroes cool? Weren't they strong? Like dad? Wasn't he a hero?  
Wasn't he the strongest?_

 _My mother's eyes, gone in the memory, had softened ever so slightly as she smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but I couldn't hear the words. I had forgotten them, but I had never forgotten what they meant to me._

* * *

As Jaune walked into the back of the store, Tukson turned to face the man who had entered, opening his mouth to speak the store's slogan. He shut his mouth when he recognized his brother, however.

His brother, Baburon, stood a whole head taller than Tukson. He had an angled, clean-shaven face, with piercing green eyes. His tanned skin was covered by a green shirt and blue jeans, and he wore a simple set of sneakers. He was incredibly muscular, and a black tribal tattoo covered his left arm, a remnant of their childhood in Vacuo.

Before the White Fang. Before the so-called "Faunus Rights Movement"- but, Tukson thought bitterly, the SDC wasn't exactly wrong to call it a "Third Faunus Revolution", considering how militant the group had become.

"Tukson," Baburon growled in greeting. Most people were off-put by Baburon's voice, as he always seemed to be growling or speaking in a threatening manner.

Tukson knew better. That was just how his brother sounded.

"Hey, Bab. What's up?" Tukson paused for a moment, before muttering, "New orders?"

Baburon shook his head. "No. Your daughter has woken up. She is requesting your presence."

Tukson's eyes widened. Tariro was awake? So it had worked! But... "What, now? Oh god, I just let the new kid take a break… He looked like shit, I just-"

"Go," Baburon said. "I will watch the store."

Tukson looked up at his elder brother for a moment. To be sure, he knew how to run the store, and had done so every once in a while… But his new employee was a human, and Baburon- well, he was one of the more fanatical White Fang members. He'd even risen to the rank of Lieutenant recently. To say he wasn't friendly with humans would be an understatement-

Baburon placed his right hand on Tukson's shoulder. "I will not harm him." He raised his left arm, showing his tattoos. "On our blood, this I swear. It would not do well for us to lose this store."

Tukson shook his head, trying to free it of the worry that plagued him. Worry for Tariro, and worry for Jaune… To be sure, his brother could run the store, but with his full time commitment to the Fang, he didn't always have time to help. Jaune had the time to help, had even committed himself to working full time, and in that regard, he was a godsend. Tukson could only hope that whatever was really going on with the young man would resolve itself quickly. He really needed Jaune's help so that he could keep the store open _and_ spend time with his daughter.

"Okay," Tukson said. "I don't know when Jaune will be back for sure, but it'll probably be in about an hour or so. When he gets back, just introduce yourself and keep him busy, got it?"

Baburon nodded. "I understand. Tell Tariro I said hello."

Tukson nodded back, leaving the counter and heading for the door. "Right. Take care, Bab!"

* * *

I yawned as I rose from the couch. After quickly silencing my Scroll's alarm, I was pleased to note that I had gotten exactly an hour's rest.

Only six hours left.

With a sigh, I opened the door to the front entrance, only to find someone who wasn't Tukson rummaging through the register. I tensed, raising my hands to my shoulders, when he spoke.

"You are Jaune, right?" His voice was like a growl, deep and slow, the sound drawn out longer. "Tukson told me about you. If you are back from your break, grab a duster and start cleaning. Start from the left side of the store, work your way in from the windows, and then come around to the right side." His spiel done, he fell silent, not even registering me.

I relaxed for a second. He seemed to know what he was doing, since that was the way Tukson had told me to clean the store… But still, that didn't ease my suspicions.

"How do you know Tukson?" I asked.

The man scoffed. "Have you even known Tukson long enough for that question to mean anything to you?" He turned around to face me. His face seemed impassive, as though he barely registered my presence. "I suppose it is understandable that you are suspicious… You leave for a break, only to come back and someone you have never seen before is working. It is okay. Tukson is my brother."

I nodded slowly. "Right, sorry. Just- surprised, is all."

He shrugged. "No problem. I am Baburon, by the way."

"Jaune- but you knew that. Sorry, I'll get to work." I walked over to the counter and grabbed a duster before starting on the left-side shelves near the entrance. He nodded as I passed, apparently approving of my diligence.

…

Several minutes passed in silence as I worked thoroughly and Baburon waited at the register. After what seemed like forever, he spoke up.

"So you do not mind working for a Faunus?"

"Nope."

My immediate, blunt answer seemed to give him pause… or maybe that's just how he was, because it was another few seconds before he asked a follow-up question. "Why is that? Most humans wouldn't want to work for one of our kind."

I turned to face him. "As long as I'm being paid fairly for my honest effort, then it doesn't really matter who's doing the paying, does it? Tukson's a Faunus, sure, but as far as I'm concerned he's my boss first. He could be a human, or a woman, or whatever. As long as I could trust him to pay me what we agreed on when he hired me, then I'd work for him. Or her, as the scenario goes."

Baburon seemed to contemplate this for a moment, before replying, "You are a capitalist?"

I shrugged and returned to my work. "I guess? I work for a living, just like everyone else. I mean, I'm hardly qualified to argue the finer points of economic philosophy." Not with people I didn't know, anyhow. Talking politics with strangers? That way led to madness.

"Hmph… I suppose you have dreams beyond working for this store?"

"Yeah. I'm gonna apply to Beacon for the fall semester."

"You want to be a Guardian?"  
"Hell yeah. It's a little idealistic, to be sure… But I've always loved the idea of just roaming the world, killing Grimm, saving people, and generally doing my best to leave a place better off than how I found it, even if it's just by a little bit. To make the world a better place than it was when I was born. To leave it a better place for whatever children I may one day have."

There were a few moments of silence as Baburon seemed to process my answer, before he replied. "I suppose I can respect that dream. I, too… Wish to make the world a better place for the Faunus."

I nodded. "Yeah, it… Could definitely be better."

"Hmph… In Vale, things are not so bad. Here, we have the ability to work equally alongside human peers, own businesses, and there are even a few Faunus on the Council. We can even vote in the elections. Though, things are not perfect. We have rights, but casual speciesism or discriminatory business practices are not outlawed, either.

In Mistral, the benefit of the meritocracy is that even a Faunus can achieve individual power by proving themselves, though their way of thinking is very focused on individual ability rather than group skill or equality. A Faunus can rise the ranks very quickly there, if they are skilled… But there is no guarantee that they can bring other Faunus up alongside them.

In Vacuo, all that matters is the tribe. Your race or species matters not, only your allegiance to the family. There, things are… in a strange sort of equilibrium."

I nodded again, seeing where he was going with this. "But in Atlas, things are bad for the Faunus. To put it lightly."

" _Very_ lightly," he growled, and this time I could sense that he felt genuine anger at the mere mention of the nation. "We cannot vote. We cannot own businesses. We cannot attend civilian universities. Work for us is largely limited to unskilled minimum-wage work or blue-collar jobs - where we are managed by humans. We are excluded from the nation's tenets of universal conscription and mandated military training, but only because they do not wish to train Faunus the ways of war en masse the way they do with human children. The only way for a Faunus to rise above the rest in Atlas is to-"

"Enlist in the military, and prove their loyalty, or sign up for the Specialist program," I finished. "That cultural divide is part of the reason I left Atlas. Ever since the Second Faunus Revolution, the government's been so scared of an uprising that they put policies into practice that will all but ensure a repeat."

Baburon was silent again, and so I kept working.

"You are not like most Atlesians," he said after another few moments. "You have much more insight than they."

"A product of my upbringing, I guess. I've never considered myself any different from other people." Boy, what a lie that was. Though the first sentence was true enough, I suppose. Travelling the world, meeting people of all kinds of cultures and customs- it did wonders for your empathy and perspective. "I've never felt any reason to hate any groups of people." Except the Schnee family and the Atlesian military, but that was a whole can of worms I wasn't willing to open up to a guy I barely knew.

"I suppose you were lucky, then. Most Atlesians I know are rather vocal about their prejudice towards our kind."

I moved away from the left side of the wall and crossed over to the right. Sighing, I said, "It's just one of those unfortunate facts of life, I suppose… but people can change. Sometimes, all it takes is the right impetus."

"Impetus?"

"It means 'stimulus' or 'incentive'."

"I see… The right impetus, indeed…"

With that, we fell into silence once more, working on until the end of the day.

* * *

At last, I made it home from the grocery store. Despite how close the store was - just a few blocks - it was still quite a distance to walk, especially with arms full of basic foodstuffs. Aurie had admonished me when I had walked in carrying the stuff, and told me that I could have just asked her to drive me there and back. Even still, she helped me carry the bags to my room, and I told her to just place her load on the floor in the kitchen. I had my own system for that sort of thing, something she understood implicitly.

It took a while to put everything away, but once it was all settled, and once I had cooked myself some dinner (finally, something other than pizza or convenience store food), I settled down on the couch and called my sisters.  
It would waste time, I knew. I had to prepare some defenses for the apartment, and gather research on Cinder Fall, and prepare for how I would deal with her.

Still, I had promised Juli that I would call, and I had already pushed it back a day.

I set up my Scroll for a facetime call, and called Juli's Scroll. After a few rings, she answered.

"Hey Jaune!" She whispered. She was in her bedroom, placing the Scroll up on something as she sat on the edge of her bed. Her long blonde hair, normally tied up in a professional ponytail, had been let loose as she brushed it. It looked like she was getting ready for bed.

"Did I call at a bad time?"

"Not a bad time, just too late to talk to the others. It's a school night, after all."

I nodded in understanding. The Atlesian public school system was in progress all year long. To prevent burnout, there were plenty of official holidays, and unlike the other nations, the schools were closed from Friday to Sunday. Still however, it did have a tendency to be a bit draining. Though literacy rates in Atlas were the highest among the nations, as were test scores. Though, with the only real competitor being Vale, that wasn't saying much.

"So how've you been Jaune? How's work? I see that you weren't lying about scoring an apartment- how'd that happen?"

"Well you see, it all started when I landed in Vale…"

I recounted how Cinder Fall, a fellow passenger, had offered to share the cost of a cab. When I described her and my encounters with her (leaving out her attempt on my life, obviously), Juli's eyebrows furrowed in deep consideration, her blue eyes narrowing. She was probably thinking about whether or not I should try and take her up on her advances, if only because she seemed successful.

My sister may be normal compared to me, but she was an Atlesian, born and raised. She knew her way around business intrigue.

Still, I ignored her look and kept going, describing how I had lucked-out upon Tukson's shop and gotten a job thanks to his desperation, as well as the apartment thanks to whatever deal he had with Aurie. I went further to talk about my meetings with other notable people, mainly Blake and Baburon. Her expression on the screen softened into a smile. She looked a bit like mom when she did that.

"I'm glad to hear that things are going well. I know you've been working, but have you been keeping up with your studies? Beacon won't accept a dunce, you know."  
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I've been reading my Dust Chemistry textbook, and working on that essay I was doing before-" my incarceration, I didn't finish. "Anyway, I'm working _in_ a book shop, so don't worry about whether I'm lacking in reading material."

Juli nodded. "And you're keeping up with your workout routine, I assume? Loathe as I am to praise him for anything, I do have to thank our father for keeping you in shape."

"Yes, that as well. I am aware of the Beacon standards, you know. There's information about that sort of thing online."

"I know, it's just… I worry, Jaune. I know I don't have to, since you're the one that knows how to deal with situations the best, but… Before, when you were out away from us, at least you had dad to back you up, you know? Even if he is a complete scumbag, I could always trust him to keep you safe, no matter what he dragged you into. But… Now it's just you, on your own, and- I'm scared, Jaune."

"I know, Juli… I'm sorry for making you worry, but this is just what I have to do. I know you've got a bigger burden than I do-"

"Don't say that, Jaune. I've never thought of our sisters as a burden. You know that. Besides, Alice and Lorena have started part-time work themselves, so it's not like our money situation is in a tight spot or anything. They're helping out, and so is everyone else."

Except dad, she didn't say. Well, it's not like he hadn't tried to. Anytime dad had offered to help Juli with the bills, she would always respond, "I won't live my life with blood money."

She's stubborn like that. But it's one of the many reasons I love my sister.

"Right, sorry. I know that. And trust me. Once this all goes through, I'll send you everything that I don't need. All the money I can spare."

Juli smiled sadly. "And if it doesn't go through?"

I lowered my head. "If it doesn't work out, then I'll just come back, I guess. Or find a better job here, something that pays well. Same goal, though. Something I can do that'll help you back home."

"I believe in you, Jaune." Five simple words, but whenever she said them, they always lifted my spirits. "Whatever happens, I know you'll be able to deal with it. You always have."

"I always will," I promised. "Good night, Juli. I love you."

"Love you too, Jaune. Sleep well."

I hung up the call, took a shower, and got ready for bed.

As I lay awake on the mattress, I stared up at the ceiling.

I wouldn't have a repeat of last night.

I had my family with me, wherever I went… Even if I sometimes needed to be reminded of them, they were always there.

I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note 1: Replying to Reviews**

 **ZenithTempest: As far as Jaune's in-universe power level goes, I'll just say this much. He'll be involved in the attack on Amber.**

 **You're correct in the mindset that Assassin ranks and Guardian ranks don't really compare well. Assassin ranks are granted based on threat level and combat skill (some Guardians of particular skill and/or poor public opinion have Assassin ranks, such as Qrow.) On the other hand, Guardian ranks are granted based on the ability to fight Grimm, assist local law enforcement, organize public events, participate in the government, etc.**

 **There is no flat line where someone can say "an Assassin is stronger" or "a Guardian is stronger". Victory or defeat depends on more circumstances than just combat power alone.**

 **With that said, Rank 1 Guardians and A1 Assassins are the exception to the rule. If you compared any individual Rank 1 or A1 to any other lower rank, they would surpass the lower ranks in just about every realistic scenario.**

 **That's what it takes to stand at the top.**

 **lambertjonathan63: I will admit, I was feeling a little bit of the John Wick vibe while writing the pen scenes. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

 **Rigel Lroy: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Guest 1: Thanks!**

 **Tsuyo no seishin: Jaune not having Aura is a plot point that will be addressed in the coming chapters.**

 **The Batman comparison wasn't meant to suggest that Jaune will become some "Remnant Batman" who fights without Aura, it was meant to compare Jaune's fighting style with that of Batman. Their tactical nature, and skill for planning.**

 **Thank you for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

 **Baron Bolt (Guest 2): Jaune is skilled, but I wouldn't put him in the realm of Deathstroke or Bullseye. Not yet anyway. Thanks for reading, and I hope you keep reading.**

 **ObscureAbsurdity: I'll admit, Roman's reaction was written as such because I just thought it was funny to visualize it. Like, this master criminal takes a bite of some garlic bread, and then when he hears a name he recognizes, he just coughs that shit out, drops the plate, and curses? Fucking hilarious. Though it's not Jaune he's scared of, of course. It's Jacob. Thanks for being such a constant presence, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story going forward.**

 **Guest 2: Thanks!**

* * *

 **Author's Note 2: A basic explanation of Remnant's five countries and the IGO**

 **Vale:** A Democratic Republic. The Vale Council oversees all decisions across the theoretical Executive, Legislative, and Judicial powers. Every established settlement, village, town or city with a population of at least 500 that pays taxes is allowed to elect a single representative from the settlement's population to represent that location in Valese politics. Representatives are allowed to hire up to two assistants each- assistants can not vote, but are allowed to attend meetings in place of a representative to take notes or contribute to ongoing discussions.

Vale has no standing military, and instead each settlement typically has its own militia, whether it is formed of retired Guardians, Police Officers, or whatnot. The effects of lacking a standing military are mitigated somewhat by the fact that the International Guardian Organization was founded and has its primary headquarters based in Vale.

Vale ranks second in adult literacy rates, third in crime rates (as in, it has the third lowest rate of crime), and has the second largest Guardian population (as in, the number of Guardians that are certified citizens of the country).

 **Atlas:** A Military Republic. The Atlas Council is headed by the Five Generals, and Executive Power lies with the Atlas Champion - a Rank 1 Guardian. Officers of at least the rank of Captain as well as Enlisted members of Sergeant First Class are also allowed Council Seats. Typically, Enlisted Council Members serve as the Legislative branch of government while the Officers serve as the Judicial Branch. The Five Generals, politically speaking, serve as a sort of "Supreme Court" - every one of them has at least a Doctorates Degree in Military Law.

Atlas maintains a policy of Universal Conscription - every civilian receives basic military training to a certain degree. In short:

-Elementary School: Basic Physical Fitness, First Aid

-Middle School: Basic Survival Skills, Basic Combat (hand-to-hand)

-High School: Basic Squad Tactics, Basic Firearms Handling

-Civilian University: Officer Training, MOS Specialty Training

-Atlas Academy: Specialist Training Program (Officer Training, MOS Specialty Training, SERE, Airborne, Air Assault, Scuba, Psychological Warfare, Espionage Training, etc.)

Faunus are exempt from military training at all stages of civilian life. Should a Faunus express their desire to serve faithfully in the Atlas Military or even go into the Specialist program, they must undergo a rigorous series of evaluations to prove their loyalty to Atlas; not just the military, but the nation as a whole.

Atlas ranks first in adult literacy rates, second in crime rates, and has the largest Guardian population.

 **Mistral:** A Meritocracy/Dictatorship. Absolute power is held by the Empress, a Rank 1 Guardian. However, as is the nature of Mistral, her absolute power is not quite so absolute - her prestige is granted only so long as she is deemed successful. If her laws or judgements were deemed inadequate, improper, or worst of all, hypocritical, she would be challenged and deposed by her subordinates. Not that it would be an easy battle - she's Rank 1 for a reason - but the shame of her failure would be more than enough to even the odds.

Mistralian culture universally supposes that all people are born worthless and that exceptional people are a rarity and should be cultivated and granted appropriate consideration.

Mistral ranks fourth in adult literacy rates, fourth in crime rates, and has the lowest Guardian population.

 **Vacuo:** A Tribal Democracy. The Chieftains and Elders of each nomad Tribe gather once a year at Vacuo to settle legal disputes, draft/enact new laws, or make executive decisions. Emergency meetings can be called in times of crisis if at least three tribes call for it.

Like Vale, Vacuo does not have a standing military. Due to the necessity, Vacuo citizens are typically raised from birth within their tribe to know enough to survive, and fight.

Vacuo is third in adult literacy rates, first in crime rates, and third largest Guardian population.

 **The International Guardian Organization:** The IGO is not run by Guardians - it is run by civilians. This was a deliberate choice made upon its founding to ensure Guardian accountability - any Guardian found in breach of IGO protocols or regulations would answer to a civilian body. In a scenario where a Guardian would need to be brought in for questioning or arrest, Guardians of other nations - having a neutral stance in the incident - would take them in.

The IGO maintains a strictly expert level of staff for the purposes of record keeping, intelligence gathering and coordination, legal upkeep, Academy Accreditation, and a myriad number of other purposes. Essentially, the IGO's primary purpose is to legitimize Guardians in the legal realm. By accrediting the Guardian Academies (whether they are prep schools such as Signal or full Academies such as Beacon), they ensure that all training is up to the international standard. They also maintain a strict protocol on Guardian Rules-Of-Engagement. Any Guardian that does not adhere to these protocols is subject to all sorts of punishments ranging from fines to outright expulsion. First and foremost amongst the protocols, as one might imagine, is that a Guardian must never harm a civilian.


	6. Chapter Five: Assessment

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Hmm, a slower chapter like chapter four. But this one's more of a calm before the storm than the aftermath of a conflict.**

 **So far, Roman hasn't done a whole lot of exceptional things that would be deserving of his rank. Not on screen, at least. But this chapter is where Roman really gets to shine. Because this chapter is absolutely fucking nothing but talking. Well, talking, and also Jaune actually planning for a fight, for once.**

* * *

Chapter Five: Assessment

Cinder waited patiently outside of a tent. Behind her to her sides, Emerald and Mercury stood forming a triangle with Emerald to her right and Mercury to her left. They each carried a suitcase. Standing next to her was Roman Torchwick, idly smoking a cigar and impatiently twirling his cane. Roman's apprentice, Neopolitan, had been left behind - he had decided that she wasn't necessary for this.

More likely, he was keeping her in reserve for if things went wrong.

"Jeez, I know these guys are simple animals, but you'd think that as a formal organization they'd develop a sense of punctuality."

A few of the White Fang grunts surrounding them growled, and some of them tightened their grips on their weapons. Cinder sighed and smacked Roman's shoulder.

"Enough of that, Torchwick. I know you were raised in Atlas, but set aside your personal opinions while we're here. Need I remind you-"

"That we're here for a business proposition, yeah, I know. Still, I don't understand why you're going out of your way to work with the Fang. As far as simple labor goes, wouldn't Junior's men serve just as well?"

"In the short term, perhaps. But in the long term, my goals require more militant skill sets."

"Right, and those long term goals are?"

"You need only know what I tell you, Roman. Now, enough. It would seem that the Captain is ready to meet with us."

Surely enough, the tent flaps parted and a large man stepped out. He was broad shouldered and muscular, wearing a shirt with ripped sleeves. A black tribal tattoo adorned his left arm, and a white mask with red markings covered his entire face.

"...the Captain will see you now," the man growled. He held the tent flap open and gestured for them to enter. As they stepped forward, he spoke again. "Take caution, humans," he looked down at the group, clearly glaring at them through the mask. "The Captain is a busy man, and that he is taking time out of his day to entreat humans like you is an act of mercy. If you value your lives, do not waste his time, and do not anger him."

Roman opened his mouth to reply before Cinder slapped a hand over his mouth and replied, "Thank you for your advice. We'll keep this brief."

They entered the tent, and the flaps closed behind them, trapping them in dim candlelight.

* * *

It had been three days since I fell asleep in the shop. Since then, I'd been working non-stop. But I got today off, for whatever reason… Tukson finally gave me his phone number.

I used the time to prepare for confronting Cinder- if that was even her real name. After my daily workout routine - which now included gun holstering/dry firing drills, courtesy of Junior's men, as well as a run around the area - I had gone to the local hardware store and bought a few items. Paid for in cash, of course, and without Aurie's help - it would be suspicious as hell if she saw me carry that stuff in. I had then gone to a Dust shop and bought some processed Electric Dust. The grains of Fire Dust in the bullets were sufficient for minor explosions, but if I was to fight Cinder, I would need much more ordnance than that.

Not that I knew how effective it would be. She was just as much a ghost as I was - the company card she gave me belonged to a real company, but contacting them hadn't yielded any useful results:

"Hello, is this the Glass Night corporation?"

"Yes sir, my name is Jenny, is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Yeah hi, My name is Kayle, I just wanted to ask about my sister? She told us she worked there and I wanted to surprise her in her office for her birthday. Do you know what office she's in?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm not allowed to release employee information. If that will be all, then-"

"No wait! Look, Jennifer, I'm sorry for lying. It's just- Sis ran away from home a while back, and she only wrote back to say that she started working for you guys. Can you just tell me if she _is_ working for you? I just want to know if she's okay."

"...Give me a moment to check with my supervisor."

"No problem, Jennifer."

There were a few moments of silence as Jennifer probably put herself on mute to check, and then she came back.

"Okay sir, I can help you with that much. Give me a moment to check the database…"

A few moments passed as Jennifer searched, only to come up with-

"Nothing, sir. I'm sorry to say that your sister is not, in fact, working with the company."

"Oh. Okay…"

"I'm sorry, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"No, that's okay."

"Understood, sir. Have a good day."

It wasn't the most conclusive evidence, but it was enough to suggest that the business cards that Cinder gave out were fake. The number on the cards probably did go to her private Scroll, or at least one of several. Her disguise was probably meant for her to blend in with the common populace, and if the average man called the number only to receive an answer from someone else, it would fall through.

Then again, the average man wasn't trained with an Assassin's mindset and wouldn't think to check the legitimacy of the card. Still, with that lead gone, there were no others for me to follow. I had the card, but aside from the number probably being genuine, I had no other intelligence about who Cinder was or her skill set. She was clearly skilled at stealth and information gathering to some degree to get the drop on me and take pictures without my knowing, but aside from that I had no clue about her. If I had known more, I could have created a combat plan, but as it was, I was in the dark without a light.

Which meant that, as much as I hated it, I would have to resort to one of my father's basic fall-back plans.

 _If you don't know how strong the opponent is going to be, but you're sure they're stronger than you are, then make up the difference with firepower._

As much as I loathed how I had obtained my skills, times like these were when I appreciated that I had them. Homemade weapons and traps were almost a specialty of mine.

Though I could make some rather simple bombs, I was trying to lay low and avoid the law, and if Cinder was a professional Assassin, then I could at least assume she had Aura, so their effectiveness would be lessened. The force of the explosions would do serious damage for sure, but only if the timing was perfect. Anything less and she'd likely be able to either avoid or negate the damage somehow. Not to mention, if I got caught in the blast, I didn't have Aura to protect me.

But before I made anything, I'd have to prioritize what I wanted.

First of all, I'd have to make something simple, some backup weapon I could keep in a pocket in case Cinder got too close in our fight. I was no slouch with a knife, but I could only assume she was stronger at melee.

By the Good Brother, all these assumptions… how I wished for real intelligence. Still, in the absence of intelligence, it was better to overestimate the opponent and prepare accordingly. So if I assumed that Cinder was at least as capable as an A6 or A5, then she would definitely outclass me in melee range. If she wanted me killed, she could easily do it herself… so she wanted me alive, for whatever reason. Ostensibly because she knew who my father was, but it wouldn't do me any good to think too deeply on her motivations without any real intelligence.

In any case, melee combat was out for me, but I still had to prepare for it. In which case…

I walked over to the kitchen and opened up the spice rack. I had bought several spices from the grocery store, ranging from common black pepper to chili powder to a powderized form of something called a 'Vacuo Reaper'. Apparently it was a new breed of pepper that some farmer had cultivated while I was in juvie. The cashier had asked if I liked my food spicy. I had replied yes - and completely honestly at that - but I also knew better than most people the potential of pepper to be used as a weapon.

To start, I simply did a little taste test of each of the kinds of spices I had to determine their usefulness. I knew most of them well enough, but it was worth it to reacquaint myself with them. The 'Vacuo Reaper' powder, on the other hand…

HOLY.

FUCK.

It burned. It burned more than anything I had ever tasted. This was just the powder? I would hate to eat a whole pepper. I thought I was going to die, and before I knew it I had drained almost half my carton of milk to wash away the taste.

…

"That's definitely going in the mix," I coughed weakly as I picked myself off the floor.

…

Once I had recovered completely, it was a rather simple thing to make the spice mix. I just brought out a bowl and poured the spices into it. A little bit of chili powder, a little bit of cayenne, some black pepper, some red pepper, Sriracha powder, curry powder, and a _healthy_ couple of shakes of the Vacuo Reaper. I mixed it all together well (professional tip- wear latex gloves lest you touch your eye - or for men, something far more precious - while messing with hot spices) and pour it into a small, airtight, sealable bag. Bam, instant pepper spray- though throwing this shit in someone's face would probably be worse than the average Schnee brand pepper spray. That stuff, while effective, stayed within the limits of the law.

This stuff? This stuff could kill someone if it hit them dead on. Especially with the Vacuo Reaper in there. If the mixture got into someone's eyes or nose?

Cinder would have a very, very hard time dealing with it, no matter her skill level. Unless her Semblance negated such things or whatever, but still, it was an effective backup.

Once that was done, next was stuff I could use at mid-range. Within the range of my sword - not that I'd use it in the fight, since I was still learning to use it - but still too far to lunge in against someone faster than me. I'd need something I could distract Cinder with, something quick but effective, that I could use either to preempt an offensive or a retreat.

Flashbangs.

They'd stun and disable her, even if only for a second - but a second makes all the difference.

With that, I turned to the things I had bought from the hardware store. In most other cities, it would probably be weird for a common hardware store to carry things like packets of potassium perchlorate, powdered aluminum, or other chemicals. But with Beacon overlooking the city? It made sense for them to carry things to cater to Guardian clients. Typically these kinds of chemicals would have to be ordered from specialty contractors, but since so many Guardians like to have personalized, specific weapons, materiel products sell well in Vale. After all, if a Guardian's weapon relied on a specific Dust and chemical mix to activate a special feature, then they would prefer to perform the mixes themselves rather than outsource the work to someone who might botch the mixture, potentially harming them or a civilian.

The same went for weapon maintenance with overly complex transforming weapons. The engineering of some weapons were very specific and particular, and something that only those involved in the weapon's creation truly understood. You just couldn't trust your weapon - your life - to someone who might cause some flaw that could cause a failure in the middle of the fight. Even the smallest careless flaw could cause a complete failure in battle.

Weapon handlers that a Guardian - or Assassin - could trust with a personal weapon were worth their weight in Dust.

Back to the chemicals, however. It took some time to mix together the potassium perchlorate and the aluminum powder - while I had made sure to have a dry but not heated workspace, these chemicals were easy to set off, and I wasn't about to cause an explosion in the apartment. The mix was seven parts perchlorate, three parts aluminum, one part Electric Dust, and one part Fire Dust.

Really, all I needed was the perchlorate and aluminum to make a basic flash powder, but the Electric and Fire Dust would help increase the effectiveness of the ignition and enhance the heat and light produced by the flash, and possibly stun Cinder with the shock. Unfortunately, in order to use the Fire Dust, I'd had to grind the Dust grains from the extra pistol bullets I had down even finer, which took about an hour by itself.

In the end, however, I'd made enough flash powder for three small flashbangs. I poured the mixtures into three small glass jars, then placed a common firework fuse in each jar. I had to stab holes in the metal tops of the jars to thread the fuse through them. Once the jars were all closed up, I used electrical tape to seal them.

A simple stun bomb, but it would serve. What next, then?

Some common booby traps would be useful… But I couldn't set up traps in the city. Not if a civilian could just walk out and set one off by accident.

Instead, I opted for an electric fly swatter. It took some doing, but I managed to remove the plastic cover and strip the wiring and electrical mechanism out, reworking the whole thing into a basic stun gun.

I had also purchased a concealed carry holster, which would allow me to bring one of my guns to the date. I had a feeling I'd need it.

But with that said… where should I fight her?

In the city, my options were limited. I couldn't just start a fight in the shopping district or the docks or something. Big commercial areas, where lots of people travelled to and from at all hours of the day… Definitely not a good place to deal with quiet business…

The alleyway? No, she'd probably heard the report from Junior about where his men had failed and died. If I invited her out there, she'd just get paranoid.

So where?

* * *

Roman closed his eyes and breathed as he entered the tent. He kept them closed as he exhaled to force them to adjust to a lack of light. As he opened his eyes, he quickly noted the nature of the tent's interior.

It was fairly clear. A wide standing area was available in front of the group. A table was placed at the far end of the tent, where the Captain of this particular White Fang company sat. His primary lieutenant stood next to him.

Adam Taurus, and Blake Belladonna, respectively. Roman had done his research, and done it well. Considering Blake's connections to the founder of the Fang, Roman had to wonder why she wasn't the Captain.

On the right of the tent wall was a board with a map of the local area tacked onto it, as well as maps of Vale and certain notable locations within the city. A table stood in front of the board, likely used for whatever planning sessions the Fang had regarding their targets. Several books were strewn across the table- likely shipping manifests for Dust, weaponry, or whatever the animals stooped to stealing. Maybe a few works on strategy. Roman figured he wouldn't be surprised if he saw the Mistralian work, _The Art of War_ lying on the table somewhere.

It was one thing to study strategy. It was another thing entirely to apply it- and in Roman's mind, the White Fang were rank amateurs at waging a war. Still, he supposed, he couldn't really compare their acts of terrorism to a true war.

They were spoiled brats, throwing a tantrum since things weren't going their way. After the Second Faunus Revolution, most countries - well, if you really got down to it, pretty much just Vale - began enacting basic anti-speciesism laws against the Faunus. Now, there were even Faunus on the Council. On the other hand, Mistral didn't change anything, since they still believed that _everyone_ was universally worthless, unless you could prove otherwise with your own power.

Roman kinda liked the way Mistral thought about people.

Vacuo, on the other hand, had always placed family over species. Tribal skirmishes over oasis property was more common than hate crimes.

And Atlas… Was still just Atlas.

Honestly, if they wanted to attack a country that treated the Faunus like dirt, then Atlas should be the first place to go. If anything, Vale was the closest thing the Faunus had to a paradise, aside from Menagerie itself.

Then again, he supposed it made sense that this small organization didn't take up arms against Atlas- they hardly had the strength for it. And considering the ways that the last two Faunus Revolutions had gone…

Well, perhaps the animals could learn from history, switching from traditional warfare to guerilla tactics.

Roman particularly noted a section of railroad track marked on the maps with a series of red thumbtacks… probably a hit they had planned out. A cargo raid? But why on the rails? And why so close to their base camp? That was a threat to operational security...

On the left side of the tent was a weapon rack. It carried a few guns- Atlas Military tech, Roman could surmise. Probably stolen from whatever guarded the SDC Dust shipments. And yet, the two at the desk carried their own weapons- probably personally designed and custom-made.

Good. That meant their fighting style was largely dependent on their weapon type. Even if certain techniques could be replicated with similar weapons - there are only so many ways to swing a sword, after all - they had trained with their specific weapons to the point that using something else was unthinkable for them.

It was a common flaw that Guardians and amatuer Assassins had. If you grow too attached to one weapon, if you let it define your fighting style, then all an opponent had to do to defeat you was disarm you.

Which was why Roman practiced with much more than just Melodic Cudgel. From dime-a-dozen weapons, like the crap axes and machetes that Junior equipped his guys with, to specialty weapons like timed explosives or multiple varieties of Dust firearms, Roman made it his business to be proficient with just about any kind of weapon he could find.

You never know when you might lose your favorite, after all.

Both the Captain and his lieutenant wore masks. Well, Roman supposed, it only made sense for the leadership to lead by example. He could afford them that compliment. Although, where the Captain and the other lieutenant outside the tent wore custom-made masks, this lieutenant wore one of the common masks handed out to the average Fang recruit.

Was it an attempt to better connect with her subordinates? Or perhaps… she wasn't as invested in the White Fang as her co-conspirators? Was it a way of refusing her position as lieutenant when she felt that she deserved to be higher ranked, because of her connections to the founders?

Was it simply that she had misplaced her own mask?

So many options… The psychoanalyst in him shouted for more information, but he forced it down. He would learn more from the talk itself, and he could corroborate that information with what he had known ahead of time.

As they drew up to the table, it was the lieutenant - Blake - who spoke first, stopping them a good five feet from the Captain.

"That's far enough, humans. You're taking up enough of our time as it is- skip the pleasantries and state your business with us."

Cinder opened her mouth to reply but a subtle motion from Roman stopped her as he drew a cigar out from his jacket.

 _Remember Cindy, this is why you brought me out here. I'm the expert here._

Roman flicked out his lighter and began to light the cigar. As he did so, he stepped further, right in front of the table and replied, "So tell me 'Captain', does your _inferior_ here speak for you?"

A few flicks of his lighter marked the pause in the conversation. The Belladonna girl recoiled, an arm instinctively reaching for her weapon. She needn't have bothered, however. For just as Roman managed to get the thing to catch-

A flash of red.

That's all he saw as the lit end of the cigar was sliced off, though he heard a _click_ as Adam Taurus slid his sword back into its sheath at his side.

 _So he's a quick-draw type. Or at least, he's skilled in the art. Matches up with his IGO record._

Behind Roman, Emerald and Mercury tensed, but were held back by Cinder. So, she at least had that much control over them. Good.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't stink up the command tent, _human_." Adam Taurus spoke the last word with such vitriol that Roman felt even an the most forward-thinking Valean would consider restricting Faunus rights if they had heard it. "As for my _partner_ , she does speak for me in this instance. Allowing you to speak with me is mercy enough - don't waste your opportunity by angering me."

 _Ah yes, good old bravado. Assuming he knows who I am, he's putting on a brave face- but for whose benefit? Well, that assumes he knows who I am. If he doesn't- then he's either extremely uninformed of humans that aren't in some way connected to the Schnee or he's a fool._

 _Either way, his temper is short. Perhaps fitting, given his Faunus trait._

"Very well then," Roman said, clapping his hands. "If you want to keep things short, then let's do so! So here's the gist of things, bull-boy. We've got jobs in mind that are… let's say, labor intensive. We could use the- for lack of a better word, _manpower_ \- that your organization could provide. Forget stealing from Dust shops or _raiding trains_ -" Roman was pleased to see both Adam and Blake flinch at his casual dismissal at what they probably thought was a secret plan, "-and we'll bring you power the likes of which you've never even conceived of before. Work with us, and we'll help you bring _Atlas_ to its _knees._ "

Adam straightened at the mention of Atlas. Specifically, at the idea of destroying Atlas. Naturally, someone in his position would eagerly grasp at any opportunity to ruin that nation. But of course, it wouldn't be that simple.

"Those are bold claims," Adam remarked. "But Dust is rather easy to come by-"

"Oh sure it is, now that you're just a single company of White Fang. But if you truly want to wage war with the nations, you're going to need more members- and if you want more members, you need the resources to arm and equip them. Common weapons are easy enough to find and train with, but if you want more warriors of your calibre on your side, you need the armaments to match them. Join us, and well give you enough Dust to fuel an _army._ "

"Do you think we don't have plans to do just that?"

"I don't doubt that you do. My offer to you is to- _professionalize_ the process. Your operation here is, frankly, amateurish. I will give you credit for changing it up from the past and using guerilla tactics instead of waging a traditional war, but your methods need polishing. Your men didn't search us, they didn't do anything to confirm our identities, we walked right past your perimeter patrols without being noticed, and that's not even getting to your long term strategy."

"What would you know about our long term goals?"

Roman scoffed. "When you put your long term goals and strategy down in a publicly available _book,_ it's not hard to figure out. It's nice to have dreams, kid, but you can't have a nation of Faunus without people skilled enough to maintain it. Or the land and resources… which is where we come in."

"And what could you do to help us obtain land?"

"We can topple the Valese government. Beacon. The CCT. We would leave Vale in ruins, crippled, with no leadership to protect it from Grimm… or the other nations. A vacuum at the head- free for your organization to step in and take control of the land."

Or not. If it was that easy to create a nation - a true nation - then Ba'al Barca would have succeeded during the First Faunus Revolution. It's one thing to depose a government, another thing entirely to found a new one. And as with all things, destruction is easier than creation.

Still, the White Fang was a militant organization- key word, militant. They were soldiers - or rather, animals playing soldier. They wanted to conquer a nation because they believed that military conquest would be the answer to all their problems- that if _they_ could just enact the laws, then the laws would be fair.

Fools, the lot of them.

In any case, the argument seemed to be working well with Adam Taurus. On the other hand, Roman noticed Blake Belladonna seem to shy away from the mention of ridding Vale of it's government and leadership.

Interesting. A pacifist? Or, perhaps worse, an idealist? Someone who believed they could, perhaps, make a significant change in the world without also causing great upheaval?

In any case, she was clearly crack in the White Fang's leadership, a weakness he could exploit… Later, if he needed to. For now, he would have to establish a working relationship. He wouldn't be able to turn them against each other if they didn't place any value in what he said.

"As I said," Adam replied, "these are bold claims. Admittedly, what you promise lines up directly with some of our long-term goals… But you can't possibly expect us to trust you without proof."

"You'll have it," Cinder said, stepping up.

What was this bitch doing?! For fucks sake, Roman thought, she better have something good if she's going to step in here. Hopefully it'll be one of her actual jobs, because then I might be able to figure out what she wants...

"We have our own plans, naturally. As was discussed, we desire the collapse of Vale's government for our own ends. But unlike your organization, our deadlines are… a bit tighter. In three weeks, we will kill a Guardian of the Third Rank. She heads a civilian militia that protects several outlying settlements that collectively maintain one Council Representative. In fact, the area she is assigned borders that of the Forever Fall. With her death, their organization will fall into chaos, causing safety and security to falter in those villages…"

Roman seemed somewhat impressed as he walked next to Cinder back towards their transportation. Emerald and Mercury kept pace behind them. Considering what they had dealt with, it was perhaps for the best that Neo had been left behind. She would have been bored by all the talking. Still, credit where credit is due, he thought.

"I'll admit," he eased in, "your plan is better thought out than I expected. Start a small problem, and let it build into something they can't control. Although... When you said you had a series of jobs, I expected a few robberies, maybe the collapse of a business… I didn't expect a terrorist."

"Hardly, Torchwick. My desire to destroy Vale's governing body has nothing to do with politics. They're simply in the way of my greater goals."

"And those would be…"

"In time, Roman. For now, simply gather what information you can on the woman we discussed."

"Amber, right?"

"Yes, Amber Corona. 'The People's Protector', or so they call her."

Roman nodded. "I'll get what I can."

Cinder smiled. "I trust it will prove sufficient."

...

As they piled into the vehicle, Cinder received a call on her Scroll, and asked the others to wait a moment.

As she picked up, she heard a familiar, if somewhat disheartening, voice.

"Hey Cinder, it's Jaune. We met on the flight from Atlas and you gave me your card?"

Cinder panicked internally. It was Jaune. Jaune _Arc_ , son of one of the world's deadliest Assassins. What did he want with her? Stupid question, he probably knew who called the hit out. So what exactly was he calling for?

"Well hello, Jaune," Cinder replied evenly. "It's been a while. I hope you've been well."

"It was touch-and-go for a bit, but I think I've found my stride. Anyway, I was thinking… I'm free this coming Saturday, and I was… Uh, I was wondering if you'd like to go out? For dinner, or something. If you're free."

Cinder was honestly impressed by how well the young man played the role of the awkward teen. Considering his heritage, he likely had some experience with the opposite sex, so this was a ruse. Still, if she could get him alone, away from others, then perhaps she could deal with him once and for all.

She smiled, though she knew he couldn't see, and nodded.

"I am free. Okay then, Saturday, at…"

"Shall I pick you up from the hotel at six?"

"Six o'clock, then. It's a date."

* * *

 **Safety Note: Some of the things Jaune does in this chapter, like his creation of flash powder, can, to some degree, be attempted in real life.**

 **Don't do that.**

 **Messing with chemicals without proper training can cause serious injuries or even death. Also in general, planning an assault on a person is pretty much universally frowned upon.**

 **Remember, fiction isn't reality.**

* * *

 **A/N: Review Replies**

 **Thorson (Guest) -** Thanks! I'll keep it coming!

 **Baron Bolt (Guest) -** Karnack who? I genuinely have no idea who or what you're referring to. In regards to Aura, his strength/speed/etc. will be enhanced naturally once he gets it Awakened. As for his sisters… It's an interesting idea, but not what I'll be doing with them. Though if I get as far along as I plan to, one or two of them might be seen fighting in the future.

 **knuckz -** Thanks for the review! I appreciate the compliments. As for any conflict between Jaune and Weiss… Well, I'll leave that as is for the future. Hope you keep reading and enjoy any future chapters as well.

 **Tommy298 -** Here you go my guy!

* * *

 **A/N 2: On the Subject of Menagerie (and the White Fang)**

So last chapter the world-building section of the Author's Notes said "Five Nations" but I forgot to talk about Menagerie. So here's that.

Menagerie is the last Monarchy on Remnant, led by the Apex. Menagerie is only recognized by Vacuo and Vale as an actual nation - Mistral is indifferent towards them and Atlas refuses to recognize their sovereignty.  
The Apex is not a ranked Guardian, but they are considerably powerful in their own right. By Atlas standards, the Apex is considered a Rank A2 Threat.

The Apex holds absolute Executive power in Menagerie. Legislative power is held by the Commune, a group of Faunus who present law drafts to the Apex. Judicial power is held by the Adjudicators. Naturally, the Apex has the final say on any laws, as well as judicial judgements.

The Law Speaker is a special cultural position amongst the Faunus of Menagerie, born from their tribal roots. It is a particular Faunus who has memorized the entirety of Menagerie Law, and, once a year, recites it publicly, verbatim, from sunup to sundown. They have no official judicial power, but they are often sought out for their wisdom in legal matters.

Menagerie was the birthplace of the White Fang, a once peaceful organization founded by Ghira Belladonna, a pacifist. Ghira stepped down after an attempt on his and his family's life, upon which Sienna Khan took control of the Fang and adjusted their methods to include retaliatory violence. After Adam Taurus published _The Third Crusade_ , the idea of genuinely conquering a true nation for the Faunus has once again become silent but shared dream amongst the especially angry White Fang members.


	7. Chapter Six: Date Night

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Welp, here it is. What the past four chapters have been leading towards. Jaune and Cinder's first real confrontation.**

 **Hopefully it lives up to everyone's expectations.**

 **I hope you enjoy reading, and feel free to leave reviews. (Please! Leave reviews! I like reading what people think, whether kind or criticizing.)**

* * *

Chapter Six: Date Night

I rotated my limbs as I finished warming up. It was three o'clock in the afternoon - a bit early, but I was trying to keep my body limber and ready for anything in preparation for my date with Cinder. Not to mention I'd have to spend a decent amount of time making sure I looked good and presentable. Even if I was preparing for a fight, a fight might not be completely necessary. If I could get the information I wanted from Cinder without having to fight her, that would be ideal. Of course, I'm not so naive as to think that's a realistic goal, but still.

Once I was done with my basic calisthenics and my run, I did a few repetitions of my basic drills - nothing too tiring, but enough to really get me ready for the evening's events.

I took a shower and made sure to shave and comb my hair. I even went out of my way to use some basic cologne. Nothing too overt - I wasn't about to smell like a teenager trying to mask their gym sweat with an overblown body spray - just a subtle spritz around my neck and pits.

And then came the suit…

It wasn't cheap. I had it specially tailored to my size, but more importantly, I had some hidden pockets installed in the sleeves and the interior of the torso. The sleeves had to be trimmed more loosely as a result, but it was worth it to be able to hide some of my prepared items. Not much- just the pepper powder, the taser, and one of my knives. The flashbangs were too bulky to fit into the suit, and the gun fit well enough into the concealed carry holster I'd purchased.

I'd chosen one of the parks in the city, bordering the area with the apartment and the commercial district. It was relatively close to where we'd be having dinner, and also pretty quiet- not many people walked around there when we'd be visiting.

It wasn't a certainty, of course, but I'd checked, and there was actually an event going on in another park today, so the odds of people visiting the one I'd decided on was even slimmer.

Prepping the combat location also took some work. I went out of my way to stash my stuff in a quieter section of the park, during my run. It wasn't just quiet, naturally - there were plenty of bushes, benches, trash cans, and trees - plenty of things to serve as cover or thrown items in a pinch.

And with that, everything was set. I'd even prepared some transportation- nothing too fancy, just an upper-end taxi, basically.

Still, all that was left to do was wait, and do some reading.

* * *

Cinder sighed and double-checked herself in the mirror, making sure none of her hidden weapons were visible. She wore a conservative red dress that hung loosely off her shoulders. The skirt of the dress was long, ending near her ankles. Instead of high heels, she opted for flats.

Considering who her date was, she wanted to be prepared to either fight or flee.

Under the skirt, she wore two thigh bags that carried extra Dust and a knife. She also wore her combat pants, which had Dust threads woven into them. She would have woven Dust into the dress, but she didn't have the time to go through the full process of weaving Dust into threads to do so.

On the upside, the long gloves and undershirt she was wearing _did_ have Dust woven into them. Nothing too special- the Fire Dust in the gloves weaved a pattern that formed her favored scimitars, which she dual wielded. The dust in the undershirt was a simple Earth Dust pattern that hardened the shirt in response to physical trauma, and the Wind Dust in her pants allowed her to move with less air resistance, improving her speed in combat.

Again, nothing too simple. More advanced Dust uses could do amazing things with Dust- spatial distortion, gravity manipulation, even things as wonderful as time manipulation or the manipulation of various forms of energy. Unfortunately, Dust Weaving was a fairly limited method of Dust manipulation due to the inherent limitations imposed by the practice. Being restricted to certain types of clothing materials in accordance with what works with what kind of Dust was one, as well as the preciseness of the patterns that had to be weaved in order for Dust clothing to work effectively.

Even more unfortunately, Dust Weaving was the only method of Dust manipulation that Cinder was skilled at. Advanced Dust manipulation breached the realm of academia- skilled users tended to be mathematical geniuses, as well as knowledgeable in the fields of physics, chemistry, and often history and art as well. It was necessary to be so in order to make effective use of the more advanced Dust techniques.

That sort of thing, in Cinder's eyes, was awesome, and truly something to respect, but impractical. For her, an immediate, tangible benefit was more beneficial than something that required years or even decades of study to use effectively.

Not that she didn't study the basic ideas of such things, of course. It was important to know the basics of such subjects at least so that she could find weaknesses in enemy Dust users, should she face any. _However,_ she mused internally, _based on Roman's info, I won't have to worry about that kind of attack from Jaune._

She stepped away from the mirror and over to her desk, where she quickly reviewed Roman's brief dossier about Jaune.

"Trained with Roman, The Spiders, the Black Squadron," she muttered, reading it line by line. "Trained in hand-to-hand, Bullhead piloting, first-aid, survivalism, etcetera etcetera…"

That was all Roman had given her. Nothing about his personal background, family, personality, common tactics or strategies. All she had was a vague description of his known skill set.

And it was all impressive, indeed. Even she wasn't skilled in several of these things, which was why she recruited others like Roman, Emerald and Mercury to her side.

Still, she was hoping that this meeting wouldn't turn into a fight, especially considering the extra note Roman had seen fit to tack onto the dossier:

 _Cinder, for your sake, I hope he doesn't have any intelligence about you. If he does, you could be in for a hell of a fight._  
 _-Roman T._

Her meeting with Raven the other day didn't do much to dissuade her fears either. She had thought that, at the very least, she could trust her Master for guidance, but Raven had simply advised her that "Members of the Arc family make better friends than enemies." When she had questioned Raven about Jaune, Raven admitted that she knew nothing, but informed Cinder that Jacob had actually trained her.

Had trained Raven!

The revelation was mind boggling. The father of her date for the evening had trained the world's strongest woman, a former Rank 1 Guardian!

With that in mind, Jaune's impressive skill set was easier to understand. With a father like that taking him to be trained by warriors of his caliber (some of whom she'd never even heard of!), it made sense for Jaune to be strong as well.

She could only hope that she could convince him to side with her, even for a short time. Hopefully then, as her Master had instructed, Emerald could seduce him, and from there a full conversion could be possible.

But in regards to Jaune…

She gave the dossier another glance.

 _He seems to be trained like a 'pure' Assassin, someone who studies their target and kills them with the most effective method they can conceive. Unlike Raven and Mercury, who lean more on the 'fighter' Assassin archetype, killing targets with brute force and combat skill. And, unfortunately, unlike myself in that regard. I'm probably - no, definitely stronger than him in a fight, but it would be foolish to assume he'd face me without setting something up in advance. If he leads me into a trap, it's possible he might gain an advantage over me- I should keep Emerald and Mercury in reserve- no, not just them, I should have Roman on standby as well, just in case._

She glanced down at Roman's note again.

"Assuming he'll even be willing to fight with Jaune…"

* * *

Emerald stared at the page in front of her. She'd been reading it for the past hour, unable to bring herself to progress despite her best efforts. It was a new book- she'd finished Scipio's _Commentaries_ a few days ago. Now, she was going through the _Third Crusade_.

It was boring as fuck.

For a book that was supposed to be inflammatory to the point of inciting a revolutionary uprising, she couldn't help but be surprised by how many words a person could use to _meander_ their way through an argument. Apparently, while Adam Taurus was an excellent military leader and combatant, his skill with the written word needed some honing.

Eventually, she gave up and closed the book, pulling out her weapons instead and checking them over one at a time. She hadn't cleaned them in a few days, and since they trained almost daily, they were due for some maintenance.

She first checked the Dust rounds in the cylinders. Rather than conventional bullets, Wind Dust crystals were set into each cylinder. By charging her Aura into each weapon, she could fire blasts of wind in small bursts continuously, without having to reload. Of course, the downside was that the ammunition was very particular- she had to be vigilant in making sure each crystal had enough latent energy to function properly.

Running low… Come tomorrow, she'd have to replace them.

She then tested the shifting mechanism that brought the blades out and fixed them into their various positions, as well as the chains that allowed her to whip the blades around. Still fine, but she rubbed them down with a little lubricant while she was at it. She then set about sharpening the blades for a bit.

In the meantime, Mercury snored, resting with his prosthetics laying on his bed next to him.

 _What a weirdo,_ Emerald thought. _I still don't get what Cinder needs him for… There are plenty of Assassins out there better than him, and less annoying too. Hell, maybe this Jaune guy can replace him._

Emerald paused in her maintenance to consider that.

 _Cinder does seem awfully invested in him, especially since Roman told her that he was related to that Jack the Ripper guy… Maybe she wants to use Jaune to get to Jack?_

Her thoughts were interrupted as Cinder opened the door from her private room in the suite. She stepped forwards and addressed Emerald.

"How do I look?"

Caught off guard, Emerald stuttered before blushing in embarrassment. "Y-you look beautiful, ma'am."

"Mm." Cinder nodded idly, before tossing something at Emerald.

"What is this?"

"It's the dossier on Jaune that Roman made for me."

"There's not much here…"

"I am aware. In any case, familiarize yourself with the information we have."

"Why? I thought you said you'd be able to deal with him?"

"That was my initial estimation, but with all that we do know, I think it's better if you two can be ready to move out in case of an emergency."

Emerald nodded, getting up and walking over to Mercury, shaking him awake. "Merc. Wake up."

He shot up and grabbed his prosthetic legs, ready to attach them in a matter of seconds. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing right now, Cinder just wants us on standby in case Jaune has something planned."

"Cinder?" he looked over to her before whistling. "Damn boss, pulling out all the stops, huh?"

"I have to," she replied. "Jaune is even better connected than I could have thought, and if Roman's information is anything to go by, a better fighter when he has time to plan for the conflict. I'd rather avoid drawing attention to us, so I'd prefer to avoid a fight, in which case…"

"You'll try and sway him to our side over dinner?" Mercury finished for her.

Cinder nodded. "Of course, I'd like to be prepared for every possibility just in case, which is why I want you two on standby." She opened up her handbag and tossed some Lien to them. "Wait around nearby, but stay out of sight and wait for my updates. And make sure you read that dossier."

Emerald caught the Lien and nodded.

"Understood."

"Good." Cinder checked her Scroll, before turning towards the door. "I'll be going now. Wait ten minutes before leaving the hotel. I'll send updates to your scrolls."

With that, Cinder stepped out of the apartment, leaving Emerald and Mercury alone.

"Toss me the lube," Mercury said.

"What for?" Emerald asked, handing it to him.

"If this does go bad… I want to make sure my legs are working right."

"Cinder can handle Jaune."

"I'm not doubting the boss, Em. But she wants us ready, so I'm going to make sure I'm ready."

Emerald nodded before looking over the dossier.

She would be ready, too.

* * *

Jaune stood by an unmarked cab, dressed up in a suit. Cinder idly considered where he had hidden his weapons as she approached.

 _His suit fits him well, and rather snugly. He likely isn't carrying anything more than a knife and a concealed firearm._

As she got near, Jaune opened the cab door for her.

"You look beautiful," he said in greetings.

Cinder smiled, and kept her voice even, amicable. "Thank you. I'll admit, you clean up nicely yourself."

"Well, my father always said that you should put all your effort into whatever you do… and that if a woman is involved, you should go even further than that."

Cinder giggled and got in the car. "Well if that's the case, I have high expectations for tonight."

Jaune smirked. "I'll make sure to surpass them, whatever they are." He closed the door behind her before getting into the seat next to her, telling the cab driver to go.

* * *

" _Remy's Bistro_?" Cinder asked, looking up at the restaurant's name before glancing aside at me.

"It's new, but it's already gotten rave reviews from critics and customers alike. Apparently, the chef is a rat Faunus who developed a real passion for cooking since no one in his family was good at it, or at least that's what his website's bio says. Shall we go in? I made reservations ahead of time."

She nodded, and we went in. After talking with the welcomers, they led us to the space I had reserved. It was a small, private dining area, one of ten, and renting it for the evening cost me a hundred-fifty Lien.

And that was _before_ the cost of the food I would order!

On the plus side, they included a private waitress on call, priority cooking in the kitchen lineup, and, most importantly, privacy. Most importantly, because I had decided on perhaps the bravest (or stupidest) game plan to deal with mysterious intrigue bullshit since I was eleven and under Roman Torchwick's wing.

I had decided to just out and ask Cinder about what she was involved in, and what she wanted me for.

It was risky, to be sure, but playing word games were never my strong suit. If I had to make a quick getaway, then I would have plenty of avenues to escape, not to mention the chaos that the commotion would cause, which would aid in my flight.

Of course, that was my last resort option. Hopefully, this was all some sort of half-baked test or something, and Cinder was going to try a recruitment pitch to work in her gang or whatever. How she'd heard of me I don't know, but it was worth a try.

"So, Cinder," I asked as we sat down and had our water glasses filled, "how's your business in town going? Was your merger successful?"

"Well, not quite. The- CEO of the company is a bit hesitant to go forward with it, and wants some assurance that it will benefit his people."

"Makes sense. If he cares about his workers, then it's only natural for him to want the outcome to be a positive one."

"I understand that much, of course. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, I had to make a rather… grand promise of success. I have three weeks to get rid of a competitor in the market, or else the deal will fall flat."

If she's a good Assassin, then her lies have a foundation of truth, in which case… she has three weeks to take out a target, or else whatever organization she's talking to won't go through with whatever Cinder wants.

God, I can't wait for the waitress to come back with our entrees so she can _fuck off_. This wordplay shit is tiring, and I just want to get to the bottom of things.

We talked some more for about twenty minutes as our meals were made and came out, and then I instructed our waitress to wait to be called upon, as I desired some privacy.

After a moment of silence where I ate some of the food I had ordered (considering what I was paying for it, I might as well eat some before the shit hits the fan), and then I spoke up.

"Cinder."

"Yes, Jaune?"

I looked her right in the eyes. For all that she was warm and friendly, now that I knew the truth about her, I could sense an inner coldness in the depths of her eyes.

"Let's drop the pretenses, all right?"

She narrowed her eyes at me in response.

"Oh come off it, okay? I know you know I'm the son of Jack the Ripper, and I know you hired Junior's men to kill me. I just want to know why."

"Who told you it was me?"

"Junior did. Don't blame him though, I had to torture him for it."

Her eyes widened at the news, before her face settled into a mask of calmness.

"Very well Jaune, let us speak candidly. Admittedly, I did not know you were Jack the Ripper's son when I hired Junior's men. I simply wanted to test the descendant of Carla Magna and Gaius Caesar. I figured that, if nothing else, your lineage and nationality would open up connections for me and my associates in Atlas and Vale."

"So it was a test… I assume I passed?"

"With flying colors. After seeing the way you disposed of those men, I originally thought you were an Atlesian sleeper agent, but an informant of mine did eventually reveal your true nature to me."

I inwardly flinched at that. For all that I might have been groomed to be one, I didn't consider being an Assassin to be my true nature.

"So… where does this leave us?"

Cinder breathed for a moment, then sighed. "To be honest, Jaune, I don't know where it leaves us. If you'd like, I can offer you compensation for the attempt on your life."

I raised an eyebrow. "No recruitment pitch?"

"Once I knew who your father was, I assumed you were here on business with him. Is that not the case?"

"My father has long since cut me loose as an Assassin." Kinda. More like I cut myself loose, to try to _not_ be an Assassin. Still, if that's what she saw in me, then why shouldn't I try to swing things around to benefit me?

"Then if you'd like, I can offer you a space within my organization as well. Your expertise would be welcomed, especially in regards to the scenario I discussed earlier."

"Eliminating a competitor, right? I had a feeling that was more than what it seemed like. I assume that by merger, you really mean to subsume some gang or other?"

"Something like that. Still, I can provide details if you're interested?"

"Maybe later. I'd prefer to not talk shop while we're here."

"I understand. If you reconsider, simply say so."

I nodded, and continued eating.

* * *

Cinder was pleased, but surprised by the turn of events.

Jaune's choice to drop all pretenses was… refreshing, in a sense. For once, she could speak honestly, candidly with someone. That sort of thing was a rarity in her experience.

Even her Mistress had secrets.

Still, she wasn't naive enough to assume that Jaune truly intended to reveal all his secrets; nor was she naive enough to think that Jaune took her words as hard fact. For all that they had 'dropped the pretenses', she still had no idea what Jaune wanted, or what his true allegiances were.

She would have to tread carefully going forwards.

"So Jaune," she began, "if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing in Vale? Or, to be more specific, what are your true intentions here?"

He looked up at her with an almost disappointed expression. "Really?" he said, almost bored. "Come on, Cinder, we just cleared things up and you want to go fishing for info already?"

"Well, forgive a woman for being curious…"

"Okay look, how about this: we take turns asking questions, and the recipient has to answer with the truth. Being who we are, I'm sure we'll both stretch the 'truth' to the absolute limits with our answers, but better that than nothing, ey?"

Cinder blinked, once more surprised. Another odd deal… But one that could work in her favor, if she played her cards right. "Very well. Shall we begin with my question?"

Jaune nodded. "You already know why I'm here. I told you on the flight from Atlas. I'm going to become a Guardian."

"But why? With training like yours…"

"Ah-ah-ah, one question at a time, Cinder. Now it's my turn. What organization are you working for?"

"I work for a bandit tribe - the Branwens."

Jaune twitched at the name. Apparently, he recognized them - perhaps his father had told him about Raven.

"Why do you want to become a Guardian?"

"It's always been my dream to be a hero. To save people. To do _good_ in the world."

Cinder narrowed her eyes. That was… oddly naive of the boy. To be sure, she didn't expect the whole truth, but she couldn't tell what was hidden behind his answer.

"What do the Branwens want with Vale?"

"The Branwens want what the Branwens always want - power, and influence. Where do your sisters live?"

The glare she received for that was so hateful, she almost drew out her scimitars for a fight. Apparently, the boy was protective of his family. Good. That meant he had a weakness.

After a few moments, he growled out "They live in Atlas."

Cinder nodded, accepting the answer. She wouldn't press on that - she knew when not to press someone, at least not without sufficient leverage.

"How did you meet the Branwen Tribe?"

Cinder flinched inwardly, but managed to keep her expression neutral. "I sought them out, and found them. Where is your father?"

"I haven't seen my father in months. I don't know where he is. What organization are you trying to recruit?"

"The White Fang. What-"

A knock on the privacy screen interrupted Cinder's thoughts. Their waitress ducked her head in apologetically before asking if they would like dessert.

Jaune and Cinder looked at each other and agreed to not get any, and Jaune got the check.

As he paid, he stood, and prepared to leave.

"Let's take this elsewhere, shall we?"

Cinder agreed, sending a quick message to Emerald and Roman before following Jaune out of the restaurant.

* * *

We strolled through the park, an arm's distance away from each other. Close enough to converse easily, but far enough away to react to anything the other did.

The sun was beginning to go down at this point, the light slowly fading into darkness only lit up by the occasional lantern on the walkway.

"So Cinder, what were you going to ask me back there?"

She looked at me, probably considering her options. To be sure, since we weren't playing the game anymore, I didn't have any obligation to answer her, and she probably expected me to not give an answer.

Still, knowing what people want is an important part of intelligence gathering. Even if you don't know why they want it or what they plan to do with it.

Finally, she said "What inspired you to become a Guardian?"

I blinked, honestly surprised. I didn't think she would be so hung up on that - but then again, she probably didn't expect such a naive sounding answer.

"My family's legacy."

She narrowed her eyes at that.

"I don't understand…"

"I don't expect you to. It's personal, in any case."

"I suppose it must be."

I nodded, again, continuing our walk towards the area of the park where I had stashed my items. Once we got there, I sat down on a bench and invited her to sit next to me. When she did so, I asked, "So what are the details about your job offer?"

She leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes. She was confident that I wouldn't attack her, or at least confident that she would be able to deal with an attack, it seemed.

Still, with her eyes closed, I took the opportunity to reach down behind the bench and grab one of my improvised flashbangs. I kept it hidden behind my right leg, as I also pulled the lighter out from my pocket.

"There are two jobs I have in mind that I could use your help for," Cinder finally spoke up, having made up her mind with whatever decision she had been mulling over. "The first is a bit out of the ordinary for an Assassin. It's an intelligence retrieval mission."

"Let me guess, the intelligence is in some highly secured vault or in a military base?"

"No, but the location has its own share of problems. The client seeks research notes or anything of value from the Merlot Industries building in Mountain Glenn."

"That city that was overrun by Grimm? Would there even be anything there?"

"There's no way to know for sure. However, the client is a… _dedicated_ man of science, and believes that whatever research they were conducting there would be worth his time to investigate."

"The pay?"

"Five thousand Lien."

"And the danger pay?"

Cinder glanced at me, incredulous.

"You want me to roam around a city full of Grimm looking for something that might not even still be around, you better believe I'm gonna ask for danger pay."

"...I'll see what I can negotiate."

"Works for me. And the other job? Your little competitor problem?"

"A Guardian."

"What Rank?"

"The Third Rank."

I gave her a flat stare. "Cinder, that's _way_ out of my league."

"I don't doubt that, but if what my informant has told me about you is true, then I don't also don't doubt that you would have plenty of uses in battle aside from being a front-line fighter. Sniping, explosives handling, intelligence analysis… You have quite the resume, Jaune."

My eyebrow quirked up. "Who's your informant? They're… not far off the mark."

"If you join me, you'll meet them."

I nodded. "Right. So who's the mark?"

"Amber Corona. She heads a few civilian militias out in the countryside of northern Vale."

"And she's important because?"

"The client wants something she has. Something… special."

"A sentimental motive?"

"Something like that."

"The pay? And you'd better include danger pay for a target like this."

"Does that mean you'll accept the job?"

"No, it means I'm negotiating with you and my final decision will be based on the conclusion we reach."

"Hmph. Twenty-thousand base, and another ten-thousand for danger pay."

"Cinder, there are literally _civilian_ targets worth more than that. Should I assume that your budget is limited and that's what I'd get, split with other people in your group?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Right, makes sense."

"So, will you join me?"

I fell silent, considering my options. What should I do with this information? I could join up, certainly, but I was trying to get away from this life. I could use the intelligence against her - scratch that, I _should_ do that, especially with my goals, but who the fuck could I go to? Who would listen to _me_? I wanted to stop Cinder, but I wasn't strong enough. Not if she was confident against a fucking Rank Three.

Still, wasn't there something I could do? Anything? Would I just have to look the other way for this?

…

No, wait. I could join, learn more about Cinder's goals and organization, and… I dunno, go to Beacon with the intel? Or even the IGO proper? No, I'd definitely be arrested. Still, there was a plan forming here, I just needed more information.

"So, let me get a few things straight, Cinder."

"Very well."

"You work for the Branwen tribe, and are attempting to recruit the White Fang into whatever scheme you've got going on for Vale."

"That's correct."

"Your first client, or informant, or something, either lives or was in Atlas when we first met. Presumably they're some sort of scientist, which is why they want what's at Merlot industries."

"They were Atlesian, yes."

"The White Fang want Amber Corona dead, and since she operates in northern Vale, then I presume it's because they're headquartered somewhere around Forever Fall."

She nodded, and I continued.

"If the Branwen tribe want a terrorist organization on their side, then I presume it's for something big… Are the Branwens trying to destabilize Vale? For what purpose?" I asked, addressing the question to Cinder.

"I told you earlier what the Branwen's want with Vale."

"Right, and I didn't buy it then either. See, I know the Branwen tribe better than the average person, and for all their power, they can't match the strength of Vale proper. Not while the IGO and Beacon stand, and Ozpin lives. So even if they got bold and decided to conquer their own country, they'd have a better chance with Mistral, Vacuo, or Menagerie. Even Raven Branwen can't match up to Ozpin, not with all of Vale behind him-"

And then it clicked.

They weren't trying to battle Ozpin head on. Of course not, that would be suicide. They wanted to destabilize Vale so that its fighting power would be nullified, or at least decreased. Grimm could be corralled in, to rampage through the city, further reducing strength and morale among the Guardians. From there, Raven and her top lackeys - Cinder included, presumably, if she was strong enough to match a Rank Three - could work together to take Ozpin down, and with him gone, Vale would be a shadow of its former self.

The presence of a Rank One is an irreplaceable deterrent, after all.

I stared at Cinder.

"Holy shit, you might actually be able to do it…" I breathed.

She glared at me. " _Very perceptive_ ," she seethed, rising to her feet. She glowed orange as she channeled her Aura, activating her long gloves. Two fiery scimitars appeared in her hands as she took a step away from me. "Now then, since you seem to have figured things out, I'm afraid I'm going to need your answer _now_."

I narrowed my eyes at her. She was desperate. She was hoping to threaten me into joining her. She thought she could kill me without having to worry about my father, since I haven't seen him in months.

She was wrong about that. Very wrong. My father's capacity for vengeance is limitless, as the Schnee know.

Still, that wouldn't help me. Even if I was the kind of person to rely on their parent's reputation for help, I didn't think it would work with her. I was an anomaly in her plans, and she either wanted me dead or on her side.

I lit the fuse of the flashbang and grabbed another from behind the bench.

We stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Well-?" she began to ask, only to get caught as I hurled the lit flashbang at her. As I threw it, I covered my own eyes, sparing me from the blinding light, although the noise did disorent me.

Not as much as it did her, seeing as she had been caught unprepared. She spasmed and stepped back from the burst of Lightning Dust in the flashbang. I used the opportunity to run up and jump into a dropkick, knocking her off her feet. I fell after the kick and quickly got up, lighting the second flashbang and tossing it back behind me in her direction just as she started to get up. I pulled my pistol out of my pants and dove jumped over the bench as it went off, shocking her again and catching her dress on fire. I grabbed the last flashbang and the spare clips I had left behind. I eyed Cinder, who still seemed to be disoriented, but was recovering, her Aura flaring up as she activated some of her other clothes - her shirt and the pants that had been under her now burning dress. I couldn't see what the effects were, though.

She glared at me. "Big mistake, Jaune."

"Doesn't seem like it from here," I teased, putting every ounce of bravado I could muster into it.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to change your MIND!" She roared, charging straight in. I raised the gun and fired a few shots, but she deflected them pretty easily. I jumped back and rolled as Cinder barreled through the bench, wrecking it before she charged at me again.

My senses seemed to go into overdrive like before as Cinder seemed to slow down ever so slightly. She was still moving faster than I could physically keep up with, but now it was like I had an extra second to react.

It wasn't much, but it just barely kept me alive as I narrowly dodged and parried her slashes.

It shouldn't have been enough. If she was capable of matching a Rank Three, she should have eviscerated me.

For whatever reason, she was holding back. Most likely, she was afraid of my father and wanted to knock me out and use me as leverage instead of killing me.

Her mistake. I wouldn't hold back.

With the last flashbang safely tucked in a pocket, I pulled out my knife and used it and the gun to deflect Cinder's slashes, which were getting faster and coming from more complicated angles. She was starting to hit me, delivering small cuts and gashes on my arms, but thankfully not my chest or legs yet. I fired off a shot whenever I had an opening, but whether it was her Aura or another piece of Dust enhanced clothing, the bullets just slammed into her torso and then fell or bounced off.

I needed a new option. I aimed a little higher and fired a few shots at her face, forcing her to hop back to avoid them. With the spare second I had, I slipped my knife back in its sheath and grabbed the pepper bag, loosening the opening. When she charged in again, I waited until she got close before unleashing the whole bag in her face, the pepper dust slamming into her and getting into her nostrils, mouth, and eyes. A little too close, unfortunately - she managed to start her swing before the dust hit her, and I now sported a long, but shallow, gash along my chest. It wasn't deep enough to completely debilitate me, but it was bleeding steadily and would definitely cause problems if I couldn't get it fixed up soon. Thankfully her cut knocked me back, or the cut would have been hit by the pepper dust as well.

The effect of the pepper dust was instant. She dropped her scimitars and fell to the ground, gasping and retching as the pepper dust inflamed her sinuses and constricted her throat. On the downside, I was out of it - I didn't have much control over how much came out of the little pouch. I had to act fast.

I took the opportunity to deliver a swift kick to her face, knocking her over, before setting off on a run.

There was no guarantee I'd be able to kill her even with her weakened like that, especially with my wound. Hopefully I'd be able to get home, maybe grab some stuff before I called in some favors-

"Cinder! Merc, get after him!"

-or her lackeys could show up just in time to help her out. Fucking great.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw a boy with a sort of silver-grayish hair run after me, easily starting to catch up.

"Fuck," I muttered before lighting the last flashbang. I waited until he was just about to reach me before tossing it behind me, making sure not to look as the burst impacted 'Merc'. As soon as it did, it shocked him, causing his legs to smoke a little.

 _Are his weapons boots?_ I wondered.

I took advantage of his stunned state and turned around to tackle the guy into the ground and proceeded to wail on him with the butt of my gun, smashing it into his head, neck, shoulders, whatever I could hit.

Unfortunately, it turned out that hand-to-hand was his forte, as he started deflecting my strikes and hitting me back, taking advantage of my chest wound and striking me there for extra pain.

We were in a stalemate, but he had the upper hand. I had to do something or else-

He bucked his hips up and kneed me in the back, sending me stumbling over. I rolled with it and came up, turning just in time to see him flip over onto his hands and start spinning his legs around, almost hitting me. I scrambled back and shot at him, emptying another clip as he sprung up with his hands to dodge, landing on his feet and charging at me. I dropped the empty gun and grabbed a metal trash can lid by the handle, pulling the homemade taser out with my right hand.

He attacked me wordlessly, delivering a series of swift kicks that I did my best to block and parry with my improvised shield - all those hours of practicing were finally paying off, it seemed, as I managed to avoid serious damage. However, not having Aura was a huge disadvantage - even his lightest kicks felt like I was getting hit by a sledgehammer. My left arm was definitely going to be bruised after this, if not fractured.

After a sidekick knocked me back, I bit down hard and swallowed a scream - my left arm was broken at the forearm, cracked from the kicks I had taken and blocked. I dropped my makeshift shield, now bent and angled, unable to keep my arm up. He recognized my weakness and charged in with a skipping push kick.

I sidestepped into his guard and slammed the trash-can lid towards his face, my left arm screaming at me as I forced it to move. He caught it with his hands and stopped it, but I had expected that, and I quickly rammed the homemade taser into his crotch.

He seized up and his lower legs sparked even more - considering his fighting style, he almost certainly had weaponized boots on his legs. In any case, I took advantage of the situation to smash the trash-can lid into his throat, delivering a few strikes to his knees for good measure before running away.

It was a big risk, but I took a few seconds to grab my pistol and reloaded it with another clip. I maintained my breathing as I did so, forcing my body to keep calm and work through the pain.

It wasn't the first time my arm had been broken, and it wouldn't be the last.

With 'Merc' incapacitated, I kept running, only for the other lackey, a green haired girl, to get in front of me from the side. Cinder wasn't with her, which either meant that Cinder was coming up from behind to kill me, or Cinder was still incapacitated, but had told greenie to get after me.

Unless greenie had some sort of healing Semblance or something, the second one was most likely, so I kept charging.

Greenie growled and yelled, "You're not leaving!" as she pulled out two firearms.

I held up my own from behind the trash-can lid. Her guns were revolvers, so she had twelve shots.

I flipped the trash-can lid threw it at her like a frisbee before charging forward. She shot the lid, then jumped to the side to avoid the shots I aimed at her. I ran a bit to the right behind some trees as I headed towards the park's West exit, nearest to the apartment.

She fired a few more shots as I took cover behind a tree.

Then some more.

Still firing.

…

Holy shit, what the fuck? She had revolvers, how the fuck was she shooting so much?

I chanced a look out at where greenie was shooting at me, and took a good look at the impact points. They didn't look like normal bullet impacts, and now that I was thinking about it, the 'bang' of her guns didn't sound like an explosive discharge either.

If it wasn't conventional ammo, then the only other option was Dust. It left no residual traces that I could see, so it was probably either Wind or Earth Dust.

Which meant that I could take a few shots without worrying.

I ran out from the trees and took cover behind another trash can, taking the lid off of it. For good measure, I topped off my pistol, but switched out for my knife.

Then I charged at greenie, keeping the lid up as a shield to protect my torso. She fired a few shots that hit my legs, but nothing direct, only glancing shots. I'd have cuts and bruises, but nothing serious.

Suddenly, she pulled the trigger and nothing came out. Apparently, she had run out of charges in her Dust crystals. I sped up, knowing that I had to take advantage of her pause. She flicked her weapons, revealing a sort of sickle function, blades appearing out the ends.

Great, just what I needed.

Still, I had committed to the action, and so I kept charging. She raised one of her guns to swing at me, but I didn't falter and slammed the trash-can lid into her torso. Pain shot up my shoulder as well as my arm as I fractured it even more. Still, even with her Aura, I was by no means weak, and she was lifted off her feet from the force of the charge. I hopped as I ran and fell onto her, slamming us both into the ground. I bit down a scream, my arm almost certainly broken at this point.

The slam had disoriented her, and I took the opportunity to place a knee on her left arm and used my left hand with the shield to pin her right arm.

Since I had the upper hand, I took the opportunity to slam the butt of the knife into her throat before delivering a few more slams into her temples. Her Aura would keep her alive, but she wouldn't be getting up from that anytime soon.

I filched her weapons, placing them in my pockets - no reason to leave those behind, but I'd need to experiment with them before I used them - and started running again. I sprinted now, wanting to get out of the park as soon as possible, before any authorities arrived. I almost made it to the West exit, when I came across a familiar face.

"Hey there, Jaune."

I forced myself to stop and pointed my pistol at the man in front of me. "Roman," I breathed.

Fuck.

What was he doing here? Was he Cinder's informant? It would explain how she knew about me. But if she had the power to put Roman beneath her, then why did she hold back so much? Nevermind, question later. Focus on the problem now.

…

The problem was that I was fucked. My left arm was broken, I had cuts and bruises all over my body, and I was tired. Even if I wasn't wounded, I wouldn't be able to beat Roman.

So what do I do?

"You know, Jaune, when I found out Cinder was interested in you, I told her in no uncertain terms not to get involved with you. So you can imagine my surprise when _you_ contacted _her_."

"I needed to know who put the hit out."

"Fair enough. Based on the fact that you're still very much alive and conscious, I can only assume you've gotten much stronger since we last met."

"I have. Not enough to really match you, though…"

"Not at all. Still, you're not the only one who's undergone some changes. Speaking of which, where _are_ my manners? Have you met my new apprentice, Neopolitan?"

My eyes widened in surprise and I did a quick turn around to face behind me, just in time to catch a spinning boot to the chin.

The last thing I saw was a flash of pink, brown, and white.

* * *

 **Author's Note Section A: Review Responses  
** Guests 1 and 2: Wish granted! I hope you enjoyed!

N-Lorin: Thanks! I think you're the first person who noticed the reference.

dannyboi: Admittedly, writing interesting and engaging dialogue is something I still have to improve upon as a writer. I can only hope that I get better at it as the story goes along. Also, I agree that Jaune should not have been so open with Cinder in the opening chapters, but with that said… that was written back before I had a real plan for the story, and mostly just had a vague idea of how events should pan out. So it's a plot hole, and it's there for now, until I get the inspiration to edit in a scene that better fits the story's progression.

 **Author's Note Section B: General notes  
** Well, sorry for the wait folks. I was busy with The Strength of the Heart, and then I started school again, and got a job… Anyways, I have every intention to continue with this story to the end, regardless of how long it takes me to do so.


	8. Chapter Seven: Queen takes Knight

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: So, Jaune lost. Not without good effort, however. Now we can move forward to more important conflicts.**

 **Also, sorry for the wait, folks. Got hit with a bad case of Writer's Block, but hey, we're moving on now. And you got An Arc's Promise out of it, so don't complain.**

Chapter Seven: Queen Takes Knight

I woke up, but instead of jolting awake like some kind of dumbass, I stayed relaxed, keeping my eyes closed and my body slack. My left arm throbbed dully, the fracture probably beginning to heal, depending on how long it had been since I was knocked out. My hands were cuffed behind my back, and I was sitting in a hard chair of some sort, with my legs taped to the chair's legs. It seemed to be a similar product to what I'd used on Junior a few nights ago. I focused on what I was hearing, and didn't catch anything, so I slowly opened my eyes into slits to see.

I was alone in an empty room. Empty gray walls surrounded me, and a single lamp hung from the ceiling over me. There was a table in front of me, on which was laid my gun, magazines, knife, and improvised taser. The wall directly in front of me had a mirror - likely a two-way one, since I couldn't think of any other reason to have a mirror there - that took up most of the wall's space, and a door to the left of it.

Mentally, I ran through what had happened. The date, and the fight with Cinder and her followers, which apparently now included Roman. Roman said he had a new apprentice, and then… A heel to the chin, and a flash of pink white, and brown. Whoever his new apprentice was, they were definitely skilled.

Speaking of skill, I took some time to question why Cinder and her followers had held back so much. If they had really tried, any of them could have beaten me.

Except Greenie, maybe. She didn't seem much like a fighter. More like a support.

Still, Cinder and "Merc" were definitely trained fighters, probably killers. Cinder held back because she knew me, but was Merc under orders to do the same? Or did he underestimate me _too_ much?

Obviously there was no way to know the reality of the situation. For whatever reason, Cinder and Merc had slipped up and allowed me to get the upper hand in our confrontation. Still, theorizing all the possibilities while I had nothing else to do was a good mental exercise in strategy, and would come in useful later if I had to fight them again.  
I reviewed the fight in more detail mentally, trying to remember all the techniques that they had used, as well as the ones I had used. I remembered things in segments, a strike here, a parry there, and worked out how one technique had flowed into another. In doing this, I didn't just remember the fight - I relived it, and then mentally analyzed Cinder and Merc's fighting styles. I imagined myself performing their moves, seeing what was useful and what would need to be modified to be useful.

After a while, I'd done all the 'mental training' I could do in a chair. If I really wanted to steal their techniques I'd have to get out and practice them. Speaking of getting out...

I couldn't help but wonder where I'd been taken. This seemed too much like a professional interrogation room, which Roman was definitely capable of getting access to, but… That didn't really help with figuring out where I was.

After waiting a few moments with no action, I relaxed as best I could - it wasn't like I could do anything in my situation except wait, so I sat up and flexed, breathing evenly, doing my best to center myself, calm down, and consider my next moves.

Hopefully, wherever this was wasn't too far from what I knew of the city.

* * *

"I WANT HIM DEAD, GODDAMMIT!"

Junior raged at Roman, spittle flying out of his mouth as he yelled, spraying it over Roman's face. Roman, disgusted, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped himself clean.

To the side, Cinder and her apprentices stood watching Jaune through the two-way mirror. Cinder seemed deep in thought, considering something, while her apprentices watched her, uncertain of their next moves. Behind them, Neo simply stood with a smile on her face as she reveled in the fact that she had defeated what the three of them had failed to.

Another yell brought his attention back to Junior.

"Do you have ANY idea what he did to me?"

Roman rolled his eyes. "Yes, I was informed. He beat you and then tortured you for information." Roman placed a hand on Junior's shoulder and less than politely moved him away from his face. "Look Junior, I don't know what to tell you, but you had it coming."

"WHAT!?"

"You're an Assassin, Junior!" Junior promptly shut his mouth as Roman began to berate him. "Did you forget that? Forget what you've done? You've gotten complacent while I was in prison, but that doesn't change what you are! For fuck's sake, you lent men out for a hit on him! You should have expected _some_ sort of retaliation! If you couldn't beat him, then you only have yourself to blame!"

"Maybe you're right, maybe I have gone a little soft. But I control this district, and what he did is unforgivable!"

Losing his patience, Roman decided to cut off the argument at the head.

"Well tough shit Junior, because he's protected."

"What, by you?"

For a moment, Roman considered simply telling Junior the truth; that Jaune was the son of Jack the Ripper.

Just a moment.

It passed as he remembered that if he ever sold out _his_ children, he and Neo - and possibly the others at the orphanage - were dead men walking. As it was, he was going to have a tough time working around the fact that he'd told Cinder…

Still, one thing at a time.

"Yes Junior, by me. I'll say it clearly just so you understand: Jaune Arc is under the protection of Roman Torchwick."

With that, the matter was settled, no matter how much Junior still wanted to argue. Junior couldn't beat Roman in a one-on-one, let alone with all the others in the room. Hell, even if Junior had all of his goons attack Roman at once, it was still likely that Roman would come out on top.

Junior growled. "Fine. But I don't want him anywhere near me or my people, you understand? Even if he's under your protection, I can't guarantee what'll happen if he comes near any of my guys again."

Roman nodded. "I understand. Will that be all?"

Junior gave a curt nod before storming away, slamming the door to the hall closed behind him.

"Well, that'll damper that contact for a while…" Roman muttered as he turned back towards Cinder and the others. "Any movement?" he asked her.

"He woke up while you were speaking to Junior. He's definitely used to this. He hasn't panicked or done much of anything, really. He's just waiting."

"In that case, what's the plan, boss? Do you want me to keep him waiting, or should I go in now?"

"I had considered allowing Emerald and Mercury to go in first, to give them experience in dealing with captured prisoners, but… Jaune is beyond them, intellectually."

Her apprentices bristled at the comment, but Cinder paid them no mind.

"You and I shall go in. We need to convince him to work with us."

"And you attacked him at the park because?"

"He deduced a significant portion of my long-term plans. I was attempting to force his hand."

"Wait, what? How did he figure it out when I can't?"

"It's no fault of yours, Roman. During the dinner, he proposed a game - a session where we told each other only truths in response to questions. While we both diluted and distilled the truth as much as possible, it would seem I gave him enough clues to work with - and didn't give his intelligence enough credit."

"Got it, so he knows something I don't. That explains that. Okay, so how do you want to do this? I hate to admit it, but he's got all the leverage just by virtue of who he is."

"I know. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Yeah, don't bring his family into it."

"We spoke of his family a bit, in fact. Do you have any idea why he is the only one amongst his siblings with Assassin training?"

"No, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. I didn't even know he had siblings... Look Cinder, you're walking on a fine line here. Trust me on this - _don't_ push the family angle. Jack keeps his private life _private_ , and everyone who digs into it dies."

"So what should we do, then? You know him better than I do."

Roman sighed. "Honestly? There's nothing we can do but give him the offer again and let him go if he refuses. We can't hurt him without his father killing us, but he can't hurt us by himself either. Well, he can't hurt me," he chuckled as Cinder scowled at him.

"Anyway," he continued, "if push comes to shove, we can just hire his dad. Depending on the strength of the people you want killed in the long run, we might even be able to get him for free."

Cinder nodded, appreciating what Roman had told her of Jack. _So he likes to fight strong people, to the point that he would even work for free? Interesting._

"Very well. There may be one card I can play, but it will be a bit of a gamble."

"Is it someone I know?"

"In all likelihood, yes. In any case, let's go in."

Roman motioned with his arms. "Ladies first."

Cinder rolled her eyes and stepped for the door.

* * *

Blake read slowly through the pages of _Hamlet_ , taking her time to appreciate the dialogue as it was written, as well as to ponder the deeper meaning behind the character's words. She hadn't been reading long, having gone through Scipio's _Commentaries_ first - and wasn't that an eye opening experience as to how one should wage war - but she was already growing frustrated with the titular character.

 _Why doesn't he go through with it?_ She wondered. _He has his proof… or what passes for proof in this story, I suppose. What's stopping him?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by her teacher's summons.

"Blake," a low ranked member called to her from outside her tent, "Adam wants to see you. He's in the meeting tent."

Sighing sadly as she wanted to continue, she bookmarked her stopping point and got up, grabbing Gambol Shroud on the way. She thanked the soldier as she passed him and wound her way through the camp towards the central tent.

When she arrived, she announced herself before entering.

"Adam," she greeted him. "Is this about another… off the books job?"

"Blake. No, not at all. I just wanted to inform you that the plan for the Dust raid next week has been finalized, and I'd like you to double check my work, see if you notice anything I failed to." She took the file of papers that he handed to her and began to look through it.

"I doubt I'll catch anything that you didn't…"

"Being too humble is also a failing, Blake. In any case, I was entrusted with your education, and there's no better education-"

"Than experience," Blake rolled her eyes as she finished his common maxim. Still, she carefully examined the documents, going over the train number, it's make and model, the number of cars attached, its cargo manifest, the list of defensive options it had, etcetera etcetera…

Eventually, she put it down and nodded. "It seems fine with me."

"What kind of defenses are we expecting?"

 _Ah, pop quiz. Of course._ "Atlesian Knight-130's, armed with twin blades and 5.56mm automatic guns. Not too strong, but there's an estimate of fifty of them on board defending the cargo sections of the train, and the gunfire might be troublesome in close quarters. Some anti-Grimm defenses on the top, 20mm automatic cannons. It won't be out unless a Grimm is attacking, and even if they brought it out against us, we're fast enough to get by. As with all railway transportation, there are a full team of Guardians on board, likely at least Rank 7, but company protocol mandates that they stay with the passengers barring any emergencies, so if we move fast, they won't even know we're there."

Adam nodded. "How many cars are on the train?"

"Aside from the engine, there are five passenger cars, two cars for storage of passenger effects, and eight more for miscellaneous cargo, totalling sixteen sections in all."

"Which cars have the Dust?"

"The second and third-to-last cars on the train have the SDC shipment. The last car would usually hold cargo, but the SDC has opted to fill that car with the AK's. The fourth from the last car as well, and there are probably a few AK's stationed in the cargo containers as well, probably melee only to avoid damaging the Dust."

"What's the plan?"

"We assault the train from mission point Alpha, at the top of a cliff near the North-Western edge of Forever Fall. That cliff gives us a good vantage point over the railway, and will grant us ample time to approach as the train comes down the track. Once we board the train, we cut of the last car of Atlesian Knights. Puma and Jaguar will then approach that car and plant timed charges on it. We will then work our way through the two cars of Dust, eliminating the AK's and then separate those two cars from the train. We'll then call for pickup, and contact the railway authority to leave an anonymous tip about the errant railcars of Atlesian Knights and empty SDC containers. The timed charges will further distract Valean authorities and, if they do go off, will decrease their capacity to stop us in the future."

"Excellent work, Blake. That will be all."

Blake nodded and turned away, before glancing back. "Adam?"

"Yes?"

"The explosive charges… the plan says we're using a different kind than normal. It's not the usual homemade stuff, it's Atlas Military Grade stuff. Where'd we get it from?"

"Tukson has some contacts through his old tribe."

"Tukson? Really?"

Adam nodded. "Shade Academy imports Atlas Military armaments for its students to train with, as well as for the defense of the city proper. They lack the capacity for a full Barrier around the city, and so rely on non-stop patrol shifts, as well as other conventional defenses. In any case, being from a Tribe gets you a lot of sway in the Vacuan underground. Even if he and Baburon left their Tribe, in the Tribe's eyes, they're still part of it."

Blake nodded her understanding, and left the tent to return to her reading. As she read, she continued to question the protagonist.

 _Why can't you do it, Hamlet?_ She thought. _Is it your morals? Your religious beliefs? What is it that's stopping you?_

* * *

I wore a tired expression on my face as Roman and Cinder entered. Honestly, I don't even know why Roman bothered to knock me out, since he was going to have to let me go anyway. All things considered, he was probably panicking at what my dad was probably gonna do to him due to my injuries from my fight with Cinder.

He needn't have bothered. While it was a lie that my father had cut me loose as an Assassin, he wasn't going to get vengeful over a simple broken arm and some superficial cuts.

He'd broken my limbs himself before, after all.

As they approached, Cinder glanced down at the weapons I'd used in the fight. As she did so, I nodded to Roman and motioned towards my bound arms.

He walked behind me and unlocked the handcuffs. I rotated my shoulders as I moved my arms back into a comfortable position.

Cinder sighed as she realized what he'd done, but accepted it. It wasn't like having my arms free would let me fight them, anyway.

"Jaune," Cinder began.

"Cinder. Roman."

There was a pause as Roman moved to stand next to Cinder and everyone considered their next moves.

"So," I began, "how's your breathing?"

Cinder grimaced as she replied, "Fine. How's your arm?"  
"Broken."

Things went silent for another moment before Roman spoke up. "All right, quit with the curt jabs at each other. Jaune, it's good to know you're as creatively deadly as ever. Cinder, if you were committed to fighting Jaune you should have tried to maim him, not just beat him."

Cinder glared.

"Speaking of which, why did you even fight?"

I shrugged. "Cinder threatened me. I don't respond well to that. Junior and his men could tell you that."

Cinder opened her mouth only to be cut off by Roman. "Okay, so now without the threats, can you answer whatever it was Cinder asked you?"

I shrugged again. "Sure, I'll do your two jobs."

They both blinked. Cinder actually looked surprised.

"Wait, really?"

"I don't have any reason to refuse to do them. Of course, I'm gonna need some compensation for being injured."

"Right, there it is…"

"Would you accept something other than money?" Cinder asked.

"Depends on what it is."

"I can Awaken your Aura."

My father had forbidden me from getting it Awakened for years - he believed that having it Awaken 'naturally' in response to danger or stress meant that your Aura would be stronger.

Fat load of bullshit is what that theory is. All scientific studies of Aura show no significant deviations between people who've had their Auras Awakened 'naturally' or by another. I could only benefit from Cinder Awakening it here.

After a moment's consideration, I nodded. "For Mountain Glenn and a Guardian, I'm going to need it."

She nodded and stepped over, placing a hand on my shoulder and one over my chest.

" _For it is through guile that we seize immortality. Through this, we become the vessel of our destiny to surpass all others. Infinite in wit and unfettered by truth, I release your soul, and with my will, grant thee power."_

A white light bathed the room as my Aura flared up, my body instantly feeling stronger for its presence. My arm tingled as the Aura set to work healing it, and the various cuts and bruises I had also felt the same. With a surge of new power, I leaned down and tore the tape off my legs before standing up. Cinder assumed a stance, but Roman stopped her from acting rashly, holding his arm out in front of her.

She didn't have to worry. I just walked over to the table and began collecting my stuff.

"You have my contact information," I began without prompting. "Get in touch with me when you've decided on when we're going to go into Mountain Glenn. We can discuss pay then. Roman, I need intel. Maps of the city, schematics of Merlot Industries Tower, Grimm reports for the area, the history of the city, whatever you can get me. Cinder, I need to know exactly what we're looking for and where we're likely to find it. Get in contact with your client and find out what you can. I'd prefer if you contacted me when my work shift has ended for the day."

With that, I pocketed the last of my stuff and left a shocked Cinder and exasperated Roman behind. Cinder probably expected more talking, but I wanted to keep them on the back foot.

Having the initiative is important for social conflicts as well as physical ones. I didn't do enough to keep Cinder guessing before, but I could start now. Not to mention, Cinder isn't stupid enough to be caught by the same trick twice. If I wanted contingencies against her, I'd have to come up with something new.

As for Roman, he'd get the intel. And he'd reassure Cinder that I was on board - he'd have to, to make sure his own position was safe with her. As it was, both he and Cinder probably thought that he was caught between two big powers - myself, and her.

At first glance, simply being related to my dad would make it an easy choice. After all, the backing of a Rank 1 is hard to pass by.

But then again, on another level…

Raven Branwen. The Omen of Victory.

While not as strong as my father in a straight-up fight, she's still a Rank 1 herself, and incredibly deadly in her own way.

My father told me about her - how her Semblance allowed her to open portals connecting any two places in physical space. And like most people with an extremely powerful Semblance, she had grown to master it. From shooting weapons out of her portals, to using portals to redirect attacks, whether they were her own or of those against her, to performing instant position changes, there was very little outside of her reach.

Including, you know, literally anyone on the face of Remnant.

As long as she had a location to work off of, she could open a portal and kill just about anyone, at any time. And considering Roman's attachment to the orphanage he was raised in, it isn't hard to see how he'd be pressed to stay on Cinder's good side.

Still, I need to be careful with using my father's reputation to bolster my position. I'm trying to avoid him after all, so I need to be wary of threatening something I can't go through with.

And since I _would_ be betraying them eventually, I'd have to keep up my momentum so they can't figure out how I'll do it.

First of all, though, I have to figure out how I intend to do it.

As I passed through the door, I came face to face with "Merc", Greenie, and a third young girl who had to be Neopolitan - who was shorter than I imagined. Merc and Neopolitan had amused expressions on their faces from what had happened, whereas Greenie was practically seething. Apparently she was the most loyal of Cinder's two apprentices. Or perhaps 'obsessed' would be the right word. Maybe she was just mad that Cinder had Awakened my Aura.

In any case, I gave Neopolitan a nod - she had bested me after all - and walked away.

* * *

"Daddy?"

Tukson sat up straight at the sound of his daughter's voice. He looked over at her, and reminded himself of why everything he did mattered.

Tariro was a puma Faunus, like him. Aside from his Faunus traits, however, she took after her mother more. Deep green hair, once long and lush, was now shaved down to stubble due to the surgery, leaving her puma ears alone on her head. Dark skin, like mocha, had paled a bit due to the amount of time she'd been forced to spend inside. Bright amber eyes were open, but only barely, as though she couldn't muster the strength to force her eyelids open.

Considering what she'd been through the past few days, that didn't surprise him.

His gaze drifted further down, where an IV had been stuck into her arm. The surgery had been successful, but it had been so invasive that they'd needed her to stay for further follow up checks and other nonsense like that.

For over a week!  
He wasn't sure if they were serious about needing the checks, or just doing it so they could squeeze all of the money they could out of him.

Then again, it had been brain surgery, so what did he know.

 _In any case,_ he thought, _it doesn't matter if they_ _**are**_ _screwing me for pay. As long as Tariro gets treated, it's all worth it._

"What is it, sweetheart?" he finally replied.

"Why have you been here all day? Shouldn't you be watching the store?"  
"It's okay, T. I've got the new kid watching the place."

"Oh yeah, you told me about him… John, right?"

"Jaune."

"That's what I said…"

Tukson chuckled, fully aware of the confusion his daughter was feeling.

"Is it really okay?"

"Yeah, your uncle Baburon is watching it with him."

"Uncle Babs? That's good…"

With that, her eyes slowly closed and she drifted off to sleep again.

Tukson kissed his daughter's forehead before leaning back in his chair, sighing. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before realizing that his Scroll was vibrating.

He pulled it out and checked the message, his eyes narrowing.

 _Puma,  
_ _I have a new assignment for you.  
_ _-Bull_

* * *

Cinder stared at her fingers, flexing them over and over again. She lounged languidly, draped on a couch in one of the private rooms at the Just Right. At the table, Roman sat and compiled some of the information he already had on Mountain Glenn, and made notes as to where to get more, who he should talk to, etcetera.

As she flexed her fingers, she remembered how she felt when she Awakened Jaune's Aura. The feeling of a pull, of drawing out the power that lay dormant within him. And when it Awoke, the surge of strength that flowed out, such that it even spilled over into her sensation.

It was the first time she had manipulated a person's Aura directly like that, ever since she had first been taught the technique. Before, she had simply practiced by analyzing the Aura of those who had already been Awakened. It was good practice for what was to come, but still...

"That boy… Jaune…"

"Hmm? What about him?"

"His Aura levels are massive. I don't know if it's just a side effect of it being recently Awoken, but… He had more Aura than most of the people I know. Certainly more than anyone else his age."

"Exactly how much?"

Cinder angled her head to look at Roman. "Around the average for a Fourth Rank."

Roman's eyes widened. "Holy shit."

Cinder nodded. "Jaune will undoubtedly grow even stronger as time passes. We may have been holding back so as to spare him, but it cannot be denied that we lost to him. We will need to make plans to ensure that he remains on our side. Beginning with Beacon."

"What does he want with Beacon?"

"He wishes to attend as a student. When I asked for his motivation, he simply said that he wished to 'do good in the world'."

"And we don't know if he's serious about that or just using a euphemism for an assassination attempt."

"Or some other thing. Roman, I need you to stop holding back your information on Jaune. I need to know _everything._ "

Roman sighed and leaned back in his seat for a moment, before taking a deep pull from his cigar. He held the smoke in for a few seconds, then exhaled up into the air of the room. It swirled around before floating up into the vents, which would carry it outside.

Normally, Cinder would have demanded that he stop dragging his feet, but she sensed that this was the moment she should pull back. Now that she had told Roman who she was backed by, Roman had to make a choice.

Where did his allegiances lie?

Roman thought hard for a few moments, inwardly debating the pros and cons of each party.

"Cinder."

"Yes?"

"If I help you… if I help the Branwen tribe get what they want in Vale, can you guarantee something?"

"Your safety?" Cinder prompted.

Roman shook his head. "No, if this goes badly for Jaune or his family then not even Raven could keep me safe from Jack. I want you to guarantee Neo's safety… hers, and the other kids at the orphanage. If Raven gets what she wants, she should have that much power."

"Done. Jack the Ripper will not harm Neopolitan or the children at the orphanage in Bohemia. This is _my_ promise to you."

Roman looked at Cinder then, into her eyes. Unlike the last time he had, he no longer saw something to fear. Instead, he saw a scared little girl, alone with no hope. Someone who had endured terrible suffering to get to where they were now. Someone whose rise was only thanks to the lucky kindness of a stranger much more powerful than them.

Someone who understood. Someone like him.

"...okay Cinder. I'm with you."

* * *

Neopolitan hummed with delight as she scooped ice cream into her mouth - a reward for a job well done, Roman had said.

On seats in front of her, Emerald and Mercury sat separately. Emerald was performing maintenance on her weapons, replacing the spent Dust Crystal's, and Mercury was running an inspection on his mechanical legs, checking to see if the damage they had suffered in the fight had debilitated their effectiveness.

They were in the Just Right's back rooms, where people like them could plan, hold meetings, gear up and the like.

Inwardly, she giggled. All that and they had lost to someone who hadn't even had Aura at the time! Meanwhile, she had knocked out Jaune with a single kick!

Sure, he had already been wounded and was distracted by Roman, but whatever! A win's a win!

Still…

She cocked her head to the side and considered - Jaune had reacted to her, hadn't he? Even if it was just a fluke… with the mere mention of her name, he turned in her exact direction.

His senses were sharp. Sharper than hers, perhaps. And he had been wounded, distracted, without Aura…

How would he fare against her now that he had Aura? If he was healed and had his weapons of choice? Would she still claim victory?

Neo licked her lips.

The thought of fighting him again, when he was strong…

She couldn't help but get excited.


	9. Chapter Eight: Wrong Side of the Tracks

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Woo! A chapter where Jaune preps for something! I bet** _ **no one**_ **is tired of these!**

 **^^;**

 **Well, if it makes it any better, Blake gets to shine in this one. I've also got everything planned out until the start of Beacon, when all the other characters join in and we can finally get some character interaction that isn't intrigue and attempts to backstab each other.**

 **Still gonna be a few chapters until then though, we have Mountain Glenn and Amber to get through first.**

* * *

Chapter Eight: Wrong Side of the Tracks

The days passed quickly as we prepared for Mountain Glenn. Roman got in touch with me and we settled on a price of twenty thousand Lien for the whole job. He also gave me schematics for the Merlot Industries building, marked to indicate the most likely locations for research, and all the other intelligence I had asked for.

As we talked on the phone, I managed to get one more safeguard.

Neo Politan.

Cinder wasn't going to be coming on this assignment, since she was doing prep work for Amber. Of course, she wasn't going to send me in to Mountain Glenn alone - not that I would have accepted the assignment if those were the terms, of course. That would be suicide.

She was sending in "Merc" - Mercury Black - and Greenie - Emerald Sustrai, her apprentices.

Naturally, I wasn't going to entrust my safety to people working for Cinder. So, I asked if Roman would be willing to spare _his_ apprentice.

Surprisingly, Roman accepted with little issue. In fact, the way he talked about it, it was as if Neopolitan _wanted_ to go on the mission - and in any case, Roman figured she could probably get some good experience working alongside me.

I told him that I also wanted to train with each of them at least once so I could develop some plans of attack and basic strategies.

This was accepted, so I spent all my free time in the next few days training with the three of them to figure out what they could do.

And to study their fighting styles, and grow stronger as a result.  
Take Mercury, for example. As it turns out, he's not just a kick-oriented martial artist. His father, Marcus Black, was a master of the Rushing Wind style.

One of the Four Elements styles, said to be the progenitor of all martial arts, Rushing Wind focuses on fast footwork and faster kicks. It requires intense endurance as the practitioner has to constantly move around, rushing (as the name implies) to various positions in order to outmaneuver the opponent, as well as deliver blindingly fast kicks.

In terms of raw striking power, it's probably the strongest of the Four Elements styles.  
However…

As a kick-focused martial art, it's weakness is its reliance on range. It mandates perfect positioning to generate the greatest power possible from striking. Aside from specialized elbow and knee techniques, it doesn't have a lot of close-range strategies.

Still, if nothing else I can benefit from knowing the basic footwork and some of the strikes.

Speaking of his footwork, the dude apparently has weapon-prosthetics. They're hardly a new concept - ever since Doctor Gepetto Polendina got Atlas funding, robotics technology has seen a significant jump in ability. Even old Jimmy Steeldick has a robotic replacement, though his is for the entire right side of his body.

Mercury's, however, aren't nearly as intricate or well-functioning. As far as I could tell from the brief look I got, his weapons were pretty makeshift - he probably upgraded them himself. Admirable, but they do limit some of the Rushing Wind techniques he can perform - he'd need much more advanced prosthetics to really pull off the style.

Emerald, on the other hand, is practically an amateur at fighting. From what I gleaned from asking around, she lived a hard life growing up, a street urchin with no one to help her. She clawed her way up to survive, stealing what she could and avoiding fights as much as possible.

She can scrap as well as any experienced street thug, but she lacks actual technique- everything she knows is probably from Cinder. And while she's undoubtedly a quick study, her long years of avoiding fights has seriously stunted her combat ability compared to the rest of us, who have a lot of real combat experience.

With that said, her biggest overall weakness is her lack of formal education.

Say what you will about school - admittedly, I didn't have much of a "formal" education either - but a proper understanding of basic academics can carry you surprisingly far as long as you couple it with the ability of how to apply that knowledge in a variety of situations.

As for Neopolitan, or Neo, as she likes to be called…

Her fighting style is damn near impossible to understand. Or, well, no, it's simple in concept, but I don't understand how she pulls it off. She bobs and weaves her body with a flexibility far beyond that of the average human, dodging attacks at the last possible moment with frightening consistency.

In three days of training, only Emerald failed to beat Neo. Mercury had to push his speed further than his usual pace to win, and I was only able to beat her by engaging in a grapple and using my strength to force her into a submission hold. The fact that my strength is what mattered means that our technique is roughly equal, however, so I should probably practice my grappling more.

Perhaps a Semblance of some sort? Something that gives her enhanced reaction speeds?

In any case, she uses a smallsword hidden in the umbrella she carries around. Roman's probably taught her bartitsu, so she undoubtedly has a good handle on it.

Aside from her umbrella, she's a skilled martial artist. When Mercury disarmed her in their spar, she managed to get some hits in as well before he outpaced her.

On top of that, she was like me.

She learned in the middle of battle.

Mercury probably noticed it better than I, but in the midst of their fight, she started copying his Rushing Wind footwork. Not enough to threaten him with it, but it was proof that you had to be careful with what you did around her.

All in all, Mercury was definitely the strongest out of us. Now that he didn't have to hold back, he beat me and Neo every single time. Neo and I tied for second place, each with two wins each, and Emerald was the weakest - she didn't win any of her spars.

As the mission day approached, I kept using my free time to plan and study the intel Roman had gotten me.

Mountain Glenn was a failed expansion of Vale's settled territory. Outside of the capital, the biggest settled territory in Vale (the nation) is the island of Vytal, with the island of Patch right after that. Past that, most of Vale's settled territory is small villages or towns scattered across the continent wherever people could bring themselves to settle.

Mountain Glenn, however, was meant to change that. It would be a new city - walled, protected by a barrier, and with its own expansion of the IGO offices. Located in the South of Sanus near the edge of the Kore Mountain Range, it was meant to be a stepping stone for greater expansion in the southern reaches of the nation. There were already some small settlements, but Mountain Glenn would be a hub for them.

On top of that, it was planned as a way for the southern settlements to more easily get to the capital. There is a long underground train line - around fifty to sixty miles - running from Vale to the ruins of Mountain Glenn. Presumably, it saw quite a bit of use when the city fell. As it is now, though, the tunnels have been sealed, so they're nothing but a dead end.

The city was established forty years after the end of the great war, and lasted for twenty-five years. No one knows exactly how the collapse started. As far as official reports go, Grimm just suddenly appeared in the middle of the city without warning.

Unfortunately, when one cross references the reports with the maps, Ground Zero becomes pretty clear.

The Merlot Industries Tower.

This was going to be a fucking awful job, I could just tell.

* * *

"You're closing the store!?"

"Only for a week. Calm down."

Tukson turned back to me as he locked the doors. "You said you needed a few vacation days too, right? Just go ahead and take the week off."

"I mean, sure, but… What's this all about?"

"I'm taking my daughter Tariro on a trip, to celebrate her recovery. Baburon's coming too, and no offence, but I'm not leaving you to watch the whole shop without me. There's a lot of logistical stuff that I need to handle myself."

"Yeah, no I get it. But wow, I guess it's good luck that it all worked out like this, huh?"

"Yeah," Tukson muttered under his breath, "Lucky me."

* * *

Blake stared at the page of the book, awestruck. Tears ran down her face as she beheld the tragedy of Hamlet's fate, and that of his family.

"It was all for nothing?" she whispered to herself. "All his efforts, all his struggles, Ophelia and his mother, and it all just… crumbled away?"

 _Revenge isn't worth it._

She knew it was a basic theme, probably the least complex of all that was explored in the story, and not even the most interesting one that she'd gleaned from her first time through.

And yet…

There was something to be said in comparing her own situation to that of Hamlet's. Faced with injustices, she had chosen to take action, and while she had been much more _direct_ and focused than Hamlet-

Had she just… perpetuated the cycle of violence?

They had freed Faunus from Atlesian labor camps, and mines controlled by the SDC, yes. But in return, while there was some progress, there were setbacks as well. Anti-faunus sentiment rose wherever they operated, and stop-and-search laws targeting the Faunus had been initiated in both Atlas and Mistral.

 _Actions cause reactions._

Things might not have been perfect for the Faunus before the White Fang became a proactive group of freedom fighters, but-

Things had been more peaceful.

 _Was father right?_

 _Is peaceful, open, honest dialogue truly the best way to do it?_

She shook her head forcefully.

 _No! No, if that were true, then-_

 _NO._

"No," she said, voice resolute. "This… This is a story. What we're doing is different. It's necessary."

 _Yes, that is what you told Illia, wasn't it? When you came back, covered in your sworn brother's blood, after Adam said he sought to desert. That it was a sacrifice that had to be made for the betterment of all Faunus._

 _The first of many "off the books" jobs for Adam. The first of many-_

 _Assassinations._

" _It was necessary."_

She shot up off the chair she was sitting in and threw the book onto her cot. Shaking her head again, she drank some water and tried to force the thoughts from her mind.

 _I can't get distracted. We have an assignment._

* * *

Tukson yawned as he sharpened the blades of his weapons. They were a set of gauntlets with spiked knuckles and bladed bracers to protect his forearms. Nothing too fancy, but they worked well for his fighting style.

Nearby, Baburon was performing maintenance on his own weapon. A modified, oversized chainsaw, they had taken it during a raid on an SDC mine that was located in a dense Mistralian forest - those kinds of tools were necessary to keep the operations area clear of plants. Baburon thought that it had a sort of nice irony, to use the SDC's own equipment against them - even more so because it wasn't originally designed as a weapon.

"Puma," Baburon said, using the code name that Tukson had been assigned. "How is she?"

"She's fine. Still recovering, but the doctors say she'll be out within the week."

"Good. In that case, once we return from this mission, we should celebrate."

Tukson nodded. "Yeah, we should." For a moment, he said nothing more and continued his sharpening, but then sat up straight and said, "You know what?"

"What?"

"We should bring the kid, too."

"Jaune?"

"Yeah. It'll be good for T- for her to know someone her age."

Baburon nodded. "Very well. I have no issue with it. We'll bring him along as well, then. But enough talk of the future - focus on the now, for we have a job to do."

"You're right." Tukson stood up and slipped his hands into the gauntlets, tightening them so they fit snugly. He then grabbed his mask - just a generic one, not a customized one like Adam, Blake, or even his brother had - and put it on. "Let's go."

* * *

Adam looked out from his position on the cliff, overlooking the railway line. Made of hard concrete and plated with thick aluminum, it was an incredibly sturdy structure. It had to be, to continue functioning in spite of the Grimm.

To Adam's knowledge, maintenance on railway lines through the wildlands was an incredibly lucrative job - which made sense, considering the risks. Though a privately hired Guardian was probably brought along to assist in the maintenance.

In any case, he looked out across the small valley and over to where the other platoon was located. There, on a smaller cliff, Tukson and Baburon - Puma and Jaguar - were watching the line to see when the train would come by. When it did, they would signal Adam, and he could begin his mission.

Behind him, in a clearing, Blake sat on a rock, contemplating something. He had asked her what her problem was, but she had simply responded that she had read something tragic in one of her fiction books, and that she would be able to deal with it for the mission.

 _I've always told her that reading fiction is a waste of time. In order to change things for the Faunus, we need to stay focused on the reality of the situation at all times._

A flickering light from across the valley caught his attention - Puma and Jaguar were signalling him with their mirror.

 **-.. ..- … -**

 _D - U - S - T_

It was here.

Adam turned around and called out, pulling Blake from her reverie.

"Blake."

Slowly, languidly, she turned to him.

"It's time."

She nodded and got up, joining him at the cliff.

They could hear it now, coming down the tracks. They stalled their approach for a few moments more - no sense in going too early and getting caught by whatever defensive systems they had.

As the train came around, they finally set off, leaping off the cliff's edge without hesitation before landing on a diagonal hill. They slid down fast, racing towards the train before leaping once more towards the train.

As they achieved the peak of their jump, Adam twisted in the air and drew his sword, Wilt before angling himself downwards towards the roof of one of the cars. The passenger cars had long since passed, so this would be one of the cargo cars.

He stabbed his sword through the roof, forcing his body to stall its momentum. He had avoided stabbing one of the anti-Grimm guns, but still, there was no time to waste. There was no telling if he had set off some other sort of alarm.

Blake landed nimbly behind him, using her Semblance to reverse her momentum, a shadow clone disappearing in the air behind her.

He envied her that Semblance - it was much more widely applicable than his own. His own allowed him to achieve greater strength, but that could be done with simple training.

 _Still, beggars can't be choosers. Only the strong can decide their own fate._

Once they recovered, they raced across the roofs of the cars towards the back of the train. Blake quickly severed the last car before they headed into the cargo hold.

* * *

"Alright, it's severed. Let's move."

Tukson and Baburon rose from their kneeling position and raced out towards the separated train car. They were meant to plant a bomb on it, time it, and then contact the railway authority about the separated car.

The run took a while - even after being separated, it took some time for the car to lose momentum. They had to travel about three miles - a run of sixteen minutes, at their quick, experienced pace - before using some climbing equipment to latch onto the car and reach it.

Superhuman, they were not. For all their Aura and enhanced Faunus physique, they couldn't just make the hundred-something foot leap from the ground up onto the raised tracks. That was more Adam or Blake's speed.

They clambered up the rope, before boarding the car and entering it.

As soon as they did, an alarm rang out.

" **INTRUDERS, IDENTIFY YOURSELVES."**

A booming, computerized voice rang out as numerous pods lining the walls of the car, about the size of a human, opened up. Red light shone from within as numerous metallic figures stepped out.

The Atlesian Knight-130; about twenty of them,

"Dammit, I was hoping they wouldn't activate. Dealing with this stuff is more of the boss' specialty," Tukson groaned.

"Worry not, Puma," Baburon moved up in front of his brother. "I have been training hard. I will take the lead of the assault."

"Fine by me. I'll handle the stragglers!"

The brothers charged, getting to work.

* * *

Blake knew their cover was blown from the moment they stepped inside the car.

Instead of crates full of Dust, they found nothing but a car empty of anything but people. Four people.

A team of Guardians.

They landed and immediately got in formation, standing back to back, eyeing the Guardians. They were stood at the corners of the car, weapons pointing at them - they had positioned themselves well, able to spring the ambush whether they came in from the roof or one of the car's doors.

The thickness and oblique shapes of their weapons suggested that they could transform to some degree, but whatever they could be, they were currently guns pointed at them.

On top of that, twenty of the AK-130's were spaced around the room, with their weapons set to guns as well, also pointed at them.

If they were anyone else, this would have been a bad situation.

After a tense staredown, one of them finally spoke.

"It's over, Taurus! We've got you surrounded, and we're taking you in! Come quietly, or else!"

Hearing this, Adam smirked, and straightened up, leaving Blake crouched in her ready stance.

"Or else what?" he called, right arm moving to rest on top of the hilt of Wilt. "Tell me, are you sure you can take me? Even with these metal toys, being outnumbered means nothing to me when you're so clearly outmatched!"

With no further words, he leaned forwards before he moved, dashing forwards in a blink.

Blake paused to let the enemy focus their attention on Adam, the one that had moved. After a moment, she jumped up, using her shadow clone to teleport into one of the empty storage overheads. She lay prone for a moment as chaos erupted beneath her, the Guardians and AK's opening fire at Adam, a few of the tin cans being cut down even as she crawled along towards the back end, where the two Guardians had slowly moved up to support their friends.

It wouldn't amount to much against Adam - if they were anything other than Rank 3's they would almost certainly die - but still, Blake felt that she should do her part as well.

She rolled over and fell to the floor, catching herself quietly behind the two she had marked as her targets. They were still shooting at Adam, his Redsteel flickering crimson light in the distance at the other end of the car, flashing as he struck and sheathed Wilt with immense speed and control.

 _Should I use the cloth to wrap them both? No, they're too far apart. One at a time then._

She drew her own blade out as she crept towards the closest one, to the right of her. The black blade of Gambol Shroud gave off no reflection, no light, as she hugged the wall and approached the girl's back.

Once she got within range, she struck quick, according to Adam's teachings-

 _When a beaver aims to bring down a tree, he does not do so by chipping away at the top of it, climbing up through the branches and working his way down. He strikes the bottom, and allows the tree to collapse under its own weight. The same applies when you face opponents of an equal size disparity._

-her foot flew out, heel driving into the back of the Guardian's knees. She stumbled and fell back with a cry, arms flailing as Blake slipped Gambol shroud in between her arms and flicked her weapon away.

The girl was no rookie, however, and reached out as she fell, latching onto Blake's knees and pulling her down. Blake flipped her sword over and used the momentum to drive the point into the girl's abdomen. She screamed as the top burrowed into her clothing and flesh, but her Aura held as she let go of Blake's leg to flick the blade away.

Blake lifted her sword up as the girl did so, catching her balance before driving the point down once more, catching her off guard.

This time, it went in.

The girl gasped as Gambol Shroud pierced her unprepared Aura and sank into her abdomen, sliding through her muscle and into what Blake knew from experience would be her stomach.

Blake let go of Gambol Shroud then, letting the girl suffer - she wished to finish her off, but the other one had noticed the scuffle and was beginning to swivel the barrel of her gun at her.

Blake drew the sheath of Gambol Shroud - also bladed, but square, lacking a point - and rushed the other Guardian, a boy.

From the sounds at the other end of the car, things were winding down. She no longer heard any metallic clanking, and aside from the boy she was rushing, only one set of gunshots erupted, followed by the clashing of metal on metal as Adam likely closed the distance on his last opponent.

But she had to focus on her own. The male Guardian had abandoned shooting at Blake and had switched his weapon off to it's melee form - a longsword, no, a rapier, in the Atlesian style. As she closed in on him, he lunged, only to hit air as Blake slid below the thrust. She swung wide, her blade bouncing off his greaves, before rolling on the ground to avoid a series of thrusts. Blake stuck her hand out, pushing off the ground onto her feet before charging again.

* * *

Adam pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the blood from Wilt as he surveyed his battleground and considered how he would improve himself further. His foes had been weak, to be sure, but that was no excuse for ignoring some self-criticism that could help him grow further for his war on humankind and the Schnee.

Speaking of the Schnee…

Keeping Wilt unsheathed, he pulled Blush from its place at his hip and levelled the barrel at the leader of the Specialist team.

"Albrecht Schnee. Son of Alfons and Friede Schnee. Your father is the brother of Willow Schnee, which makes you the cousin of Weiss Schnee, the Heiress to the SDC."

"I- I guess even animals can learn to read, if you give them enough time," he grunted, clutching his stomach, blood slowly pooling out onto the floor.

"Hmph. As I figured, with your Faunus teammate down, your true colors come out- stark white imagination, uncompromising racism, and cold hearted, as befits your name. With this shot, I cleanse the world of a stain that has gone unchecked for far too long."

"Fuck you, you filthy-"

"Goodbye… cousin."

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

The man roared as he caught Gambol Shroud with his open hand, accepting the pain and loss to his Aura in exchange for a better position. Grabbing the blade, he jumped forward, using his shoulder to check Blake's instinctive punch. It went wide as he bore down on her, gaining the upper hand as they fell.

He grabbed her wrist and knocked her blade away before abandoning his own weapon and beginning to punch her in the face, wailing on her with a face twisted in fury.

"This! Is for! Karen!" He screamed, punctuating each strike with a roar of revenge for his fallen teammate.

Despite the heavy blows raining down upon her, Blake remained calm, passively parrying and deflecting each strike as it came in to preserve her Aura. She waited for a moment, just a moment when his attention would slip-

 _BANG!_

A gunshot rang out from the otherwise silent other end of the car, and despite his rage, the man paused.

"Albrecht?" He whispered, turning away from Blake.

 _Big mistake._

She unwrapped the ribbon from her arms and lunged up, wrapping it around his neck and pulling taut. He grasped at it, but it had dug in, and was too slim for him to get a hold on it.

With that option a failure, he then reached his hands out and began to choke Blake in turn, eyes bulging with fury, fully content to die here if it meant taking her with him.

Blake squeezed harder, and harder, pulling at the ribbon with all her might until-

His grip loosened, and his eyes rolled up.

Blake knew better than to let up however, and kept the pressure taut as she wiggled out from under him, only letting the pressure release when he had been choked for a minute. As she rose, she checked his pulse - still beating - before she reached for the sheath of Gambol Shroud-

And stopped herself.

 _It's done. There's no need to go that far._

But another part of her spoke up. A dark part, one that had argued with her before the mission. And now that it spoke up again, she couldn't help but think that the voice sounded somewhat like Adam.

 _It's not done, Blake. It will never be done as long as the Faunus suffer the injustices forced upon them by mankind. There is no place for weakness in the White Fang, Blake. Finish the job._

She shook her head wildly, dispelling the thoughts, the voice of her mentor.

 _No. We're revolutionaries, not serial killers. I won't kill unless it's absolutely necessary._

She left him there and walked towards the female Guardian. To Blake's surprise, she was alive, conscious, and had pulled Gambol Shroud out of her stomach and began crawling towards her own weapon.

To her greater surprise, she was a Faunus. Brown furred bear ears flopped listlessly against her hair as she reached out, only to wince as Blake kicked the weapon away.

Satisfied that the woman was no longer a threat, Blake began to walk away, only to come mask-to-mask with Adam.

"Finish the job, Black Cat. Don't let our sister suffer to death."

Blake winced at the codename- she'd never liked them. She understood their necessity, but it felt too much like they were hiding because they were ashamed and afraid.

Still, she nodded and turned to the girl - Karen, if the other Guardian had been speaking about her.

Blake knelt beside her, looked her in the eyes. "Karen, right?"

"You have n-no right to call me tha-at," she groaned out in reply.

"For what it's worth… I'm sorry, sister." She raised Gambol Shroud up once more.

"You're- no sister of mine, you shit breathing terror-"

The blade came down.

* * *

 **Author's Note 1:**

 **In hindsight, maybe 'The Scottish Play' would have been a better Shakespeare story to resonate with Blake than Hamlet. A man seeks the ascension of his station through violence, only to find a bitter end as his violence turns people, including those he had sought to win over, against him? Works better for the recovering terrorist to work through. What do you think?**

 **Author's Note 2: Review Replies  
CircusControl: **Damn, that is… High fucking praise. I hope that the story will continue to live up to that expectation.

 **Xealchim:** So did you just skim over the part where Jaune expressed his clear intent to betray Cinder and Roman, or did you just read Jaune agreeing to work with them and immediately abandon all your abilities of reading comprehension?


	10. Chapter 9: In the Shadow of the Valley

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Well, finally, we hit Merlot Industries. Don't worry, this won't be a five chapter saga of Jaune and the Criminal Crew going through the entirety of Grimm Eclipse.**

 **Jaune is way too professional for that.**

 **They're getting in, grabbing shit, and getting out.**

 **Also, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Whatever Else you Celebrate. Happy New Years too while I'm at it, because I definitely won't have the next chapter up in just a few days lmao.**

* * *

Chapter 9: In the Shadow of the Valley

"So, you kids all ready to head out?" Roman asked cheerfully.

It was early in the morning - so early, the sun hadn't risen yet. It was an unfortunate necessity for an unsanctioned Bullhead flight out of Vale into the wildlands. Sure, Roman could grease palms and get us the freedom to fly out and back in without getting shot down by the anti-air security, but that didn't mean we could just brazenly fly out in bright daylight, when people would ask questions.

Neo, Emerald, and Mercury didn't share Roman's enthusiasm, however. They all leaned against the Bullhead, eyes half-lidded, barely conscious. They were all outfitted, and even came equipped with extra materiel today - at my recommendations.

Mercury had upgraded his gauntlets so the forearm guards had three blades sticking out along their length. He also wore an Atlesian styled combat vest with pockets for miscellaneous equipment - in his case, he'd chosen to outfit himself with an assortment of grenades. Flashbangs, fragmentation grenades, and even a few Dust ones - apparently he'd come to appreciate the extra firepower that my homemade grenades had given me in my fight against him and Cinder.

The vests themselves also naturally came with armored plating, Type V according to the Atlesian Ranking system. They cost a pretty penny, and were a bit heavy, but I stressed the importance of having insurance for anything ready while briefing them all on the plan. The plates were rated to protect against most forms of firearms and melee weapons, as well as the attacks of some small Grimm, like Creeps.

Past that, there were very few things capable of physically guarding against Grimm, and certainly no materials that could reasonably be worn.

Emerald had filled her vest's pockets with extra ammo - different kinds of Dust crystals carved down to fit in her revolvers. At the moment, she was filling one with Lightning Dust, and another with Ice Dust. A good combination - ice doesn't conduct electricity as well as plain water, but the combination of restrictive movement and electric shocks is always good. She had also "acquired" more Fire, Wind, plain Water, and even a bit of the more exotic Gravity Dust. She also had small hip bags wrapped around her legs and a few attachments to her belt. When I asked, she just tiredly replied "Burglar's tools" and left it at that.

Neo, on the other hand, hadn't listened to any of my critiques or suggestions. In stark contrast to Emerald and Mercury, she wore her regular clothes and was equipped with nothing but her regular weapon, at least as far as I could see. Though there did seem to be a little bulge in the pocket of her waistcoat, where a small pistol might be.

Regardless, we were in fact not ready to head out.

"Not yet, I'm still waiting for my stuff from Junior."

"Oh? What did you order?"

"A few things. I used a few K from the advance pay you gave me."

"Atlesian tech?"

"Of course it is. It's not like any of the other nations mass produce combat equipment."

"Heh, true. So what'd you buy?"

I pointed out across the runway to an approaching car. "You'll find out."

A thin sports car approached us, and unmistakably belonging to Junior's goons - the girls, I was certain. His apprentices and pseudo-daughters if I understood their connection correctly.

The coloration of the paint job was split right down the middle - the driver's side on the left was white with light blue flecks and trimmings, and the other half of the car was red with black trimmings. Tracing across the car from front to back were two light green lines - malachite, fitting their name.

The car swerved as they turned, drifting and spitting up dirt and dust at us before skidding to a stop. The doors opened, lifting upwards rather than outwards - the car had gull-wing doors.

Two girls stepped out of the car - yep, it was the Malachites.

Miltia Malachite stepped out of the red and black side, and fittingly, was adorned by a red and black short dress with odd extensions and red high heels. She'd look more appropriate at a fashion show than on an airport runway, but here we were. She carried a briefcase as well as a large duffel bag hanging off her shoulder.

Out of the driver's side Melanie stepped out, wearing a white dress with light-green trimmings. Much like her sister, her outfit was designed for fashion rather than function. Since she'd been driving, she didn't carry anything.

"Jaune Arc," Melanie said, appraising me, her eyes scanning me up and down. Miltia did the same as she moved to stand beside her sister, placing the bags onto the ground in front of them.

They turned to each other and Miltia spoke. "He doesn't seem like much, Melanie."

"No, not at all, Miltia," Melanie replied.

They turned back to me, and small, smug smiles appeared on their faces as they continued to appraise me. "How did someone like you beat Junior?"

I smirked back and walked forward to retrieve what I'd purchased. "That's between me and Junior. There's more to me than what you can see."

"So you say…" Melanie replied. The sisters looked at each other again and then shrugged together.

Looking back at me, in unison they said "Consider us intrigued, Jaune Arc."

"Very intrigued," Miltia added.

"We'll have to fight sometime," Melanie continued.

"And see how we compare," they finished together.

"I don't mind that. So long as it's a… private affair."

They smirked and nodded, before returning to their car and driving away.

Roman whistled. "Jeez kid, control your hormones."

I scoffed. "Hardly the issue. I'll never turn down an opportunity to train with someone. You never know what you might learn. Besides, free access to the back areas of Junior's club? Might find something to steal."

Roman chuckled. "Fair enough, Jaune. So what's in the bag?"

I leaned down and unzipped it, pulling out what I'd ordered. For brevity's sake:

-A Type V Atlesian Combat Vest

-A Thor Model Thrymja, a 10 Gauge Pistol-Gripped Semi-Automatic Shotgun.

-50 Shells: 25 Slugs, 25 Buckshot

-(For the Shotgun): Dot sight, underbarrel flashlight, 5 shell carrier pouch to go on the receiver

-Extra Magazines for the Thor Model 122

-Four pairs of Night-Vision Goggles, a portable paper scanner, and GPS tracker

Roman nodded approvingly, and even Emerald and Mercury looked over at the haul, shaking some tiredness out of their eyes.

"Obviously, we're going to avoid Grimm," I explained, "but like you taught me Roman, it pays to be prepared for the worst possible scenario."

"And the briefcase?" he asked.

I brought it over and opened it up. Thankfully, it was exactly what I had ordered.

A Thor Model Blitzschlag. A bolt action rifle chambered in .50 BMG. It used five-round clips, and I'd purchased fifty rounds for it as well - twenty regular, twenty armor piercing, and ten Dust tipped incendiaries. It was split into pieces in the briefcase, but easily assembled. It also came with a scope I'd purchased, which, if it worked properly, would allow sighting up to fifteen-hundred yards.

At that, Roman whistled again. "Damn, Jaune, you sure you're not planning on fighting Grimm?"

"I hope we don't have to, but if anything we come across has their armor plating, it's going to take something this powerful to break through it."

"True enough. Is that everything?"

"Yep, we can get going now."

"Alright then. Load up boys!"

* * *

Emerald checked her weapons for the fifth time since they'd gotten on the Bullhead. In between checks, she had looked over the city map, the building's schematics - in particular designs for the doors, locks, and security systems, since dealing with those would be her job.

The Merlot Industries Tower was the tallest building in Mountain Glenn, standing about sixty floors above ground, and ten below, five of which were a parking garage - with the lowest level connected to the Mountain Glenn Metro - and five underneath those. The basement floors were where some "dangerous" research had been conducted. Supposedly, it was weapons testing, but regardless of what was actually going on, there was a server room down there too, one of four, with three more for twenty of each of the above ground floors.

They had probably shut off and run out years ago, but if we could grab a hard drive from each, that would probably be enough to satisfy Watts, according to Jaune - "And if the customer's not happy with that, he can send someone else on this stupidity."

The above ground floors were separated into two sets of different research sections. The first twenty floors were devoted to the business side of Merlot Industries. Probably wouldn't be any research there, but it would still be worth it to grab a drive. Above that, the next twenty floors were devoted to computer science, robotics, and AI research. After the fall of Mountain Glenn, much of Doctor Polendina's work in robotics and cybernetics for Atlas had actually been derived from Merlot - his mentor. He'd left Glenn for Atlas to try and settle a business deal with the Schnee, but then the fall happened.

Above that, eighteen of the top twenty floors were devoted to biology and chemistry - basically, medicinal research. The top two floors were reserved for Merlot's private laboratory, as well as his living quarters, complete with a full bathroom and kitchen. Apparently, he was the type who truly lived for his work.

Jaune's plan was this: they would head down the stairs through the parking garage and work through the five basement floors as fast as we could, beelining for the server room and taking a drive with us. There was no point in investigating every single room and floor - that would take much too long.

After that, they'd go up to the tenth, thirtieth, and fiftieth floors for those server rooms, and then Merlot's private quarters, which would be inspected in detail.

It made sense, all things considered - they could hardly devote multiple days to exploring every floor of the tower, not in a Grimm infested city. Cinder and Roman had approved it, which brought her here, on her way out to the fallen city.

Idly, she adjusted the straps on her new body armor.

 _Stupid thing never does seem to fit right… how do Atlesians fight in these? And how did Jaune convince me to get one, anyway?_

She glanced over at him, sprawled out over a length on the Bullhead's bench. After performing his own quick check, he'd opted to rest up for the mission, falling asleep rather fast for someone who'd been so awake when they'd blearlily watched him get the damn equipment.

As for Emerald, once they'd gotten up in the air, all tiredness had left her. Now she was awake - too awake, too aware, tensed like a coiled wire. She couldn't rest, but neither could she sit still and do nothing - so she read the maps, schematics, and checked her equipment.

There were no two ways about it - she was feeling nervous. Afraid, even. She thought that she could be forgiven for that, though - this would be her first time going into the Outside.

She looked out the Bullhead's window to see a sea of green beneath her, the grass covered plains of Southern Sanus rolling out beneath them as they flew overhead. Occasionally she spotted a small forest or smaller village, but for the most part it was just miles and miles of grassland. They were up high, at cruising altitude. She hadn't enjoyed the air pressure coming from Mistral, and she enjoyed it even less in the cramped Bullhead.

The Outside, the Wildlands, the Grimmlands - there were a dozen different names for the parts of the world untouched by man or faunus. But they all gave off the same feeling, that the place in question was Other, something wild, untamed, dangerous.

She wasn't dangerous.

She was stealthy, quick, good with her hands - that was her skillset. She hadn't even had custom weapons until Cinder had taken her under her wing. Up to that point, she had wielded nothing but whatever she could scrounge up.

But she wasn't trained to fight, to kill, not like the others. Neo had been working as Roman's enforcer for years, and was probably no stranger to killing. Jaune and Mercury were the sons of Assassins, and Mercury had even killed his father. Jaune had proven his worth by beating Cinder, Mercury, and herself - though apparently Cinder and Mercury had been holding back in that fight.

Emerald hadn't been. She had been fighting with all she had, because Aura or no, she didn't have the combat skill to take him on while holding back. Sure, Cinder had gotten her custom weapons and trained her a bit, but she'd read the dossier, the same as Mercury. Jaune had been trained extensively, and assuming he started young - as you would have to, to get his large skill set - then he had been training for a long time.

Her street fighting skills wouldn't match up to that. They hadn't, and he'd proved it.

 _Although, maybe I would have fared better if I had been trying to kill him._

She shook her head and pulled out her new book - she'd finished _The Third Crusade_ , slog though it was - _Making Sense of the Senses: Sensation and Perception in the Psychological Model._

Something she'd been forced to understand in her short time with Jaune (and, though she'd loathe to admit it, Roman) was that her lack of a proper education _was_ holding her back, to a degree. Sure, she could pick up all sorts of useful skills like Jaune, but a jack of all trades can only get so far - Junior was a good example. He was an okay fighter, a good businessman and a good leader to his men, but he didn't have anything "special" about him, nothing that made him stand out. Even his high worth as an information broker was thanks to his wealth being used to buy information, rather than any particular skill in acquiring it himself.

On the other hand, people who were really powerful, like Raven, Cinder, or even (dare she say it?) Watts or Roman, specialized in a few areas. They had general knowledge, but chose to dedicate themselves to something and master it. For Raven, that was martial arts of any form; for Cinder, it was Dust Weaving; for Watts, technology of some sort she couldn't comprehend; and for Roman, it was manipulating and strategizing his way around people, and into their wallets.

So she had to find something to specialize in. As far as her thieving skills, they were good - very good - but not something that could carry her far.

Her Semblance, on the other hand…

* * *

As Mercury yawned, shuffling down the Bullhead's walkway, he idly noted that Jaune had clearly trained with the Atlesian Military - or at least someone who knew about the way they operated. As he observed Jaune lead them out, shotgun up, head sweeping left and right to check his surroundings, he remembered Cinder's extra mission for him.

 _Observe him. Study his tactics, techniques, skills, methodologies. We already have a list of these things, of course, but you have the opportunity to watch him in action. Take note of the weaknesses in particular. I had thought about giving this assignment to Emerald… but she lacks the experience necessary to discern such things through cursory observations alone. I expect better from you._

Mercury thought that Cinder was being needlessly obsessed with preparing for what he assumed would be Jaune's almost inevitable betrayal. Yeah, he was skilled in all sorts of ways that made even Mercury impressed, but his two weaknesses were pretty simple, all things considered.

Jaune didn't know how to "fight", and he was new to Aura.

Sure, Jaune could brawl as well as anyone who'd ever been in real combat, but he had been without Aura for too long. And when you're stuck like that for years, it tends to shape your fighting style. And Jaune? Jaune was a - what did his old man call it? - a technician. The way his old man said it, there were two types of Assassin - those who could fight, and those who couldn't. Those who could fight would usually kill through battle, either sneaking into locations for one on one duels or laying waste to entire bases or estates, a la Jack the Ripper. Those who couldn't fight tended to rely on tricks to take down their targets - poison, timed explosives, "accidents", long range sniping, or other methods.

The latter was scarier to deal with - if you didn't have a hold of them. But they had a hold of Jaune. And when you had a hold of someone who couldn't fight?

There was nothing to fear.

As far as Aura went, he'd had it for like what, two weeks, a month now? Even if he supposedly had more than the average person, he was sorely lacking in the experience needed to utilize it properly. Boosting your physical abilities, expanding the range of your senses, focusing it for defense, channeling it into a weapon, and whatnot. There was no way he'd be able to do any of that. Hell, it took him months just to figure out how to accelerate healing with it, focusing it to specific areas of damage…

His father never held back. Never.

In any case, Jaune was lacking in combat ability and Aura control. Which means that all he had to rely on was "technique".

Mercury sighed as they all began the short march to the Merlot Industries Tower. Keeping an eye on his intricacies, and on the environment, to make sure they all got out of this alive?

Cinder needed to pay him more.

* * *

Neo creeped along the street as she followed behind Jaune. Emerald and Mercury walked behind her.

Ahead of them, three Beowolves sniffed the ground, pawing at some hole lodged in the corner of a building - perhaps some rat's den. The Grimm were small, around three feet tall at the shoulder, and solid black in color - they hadn't grown enough to develop the white bony spikes of older Grimm.

Neo looked up to Jaune and motioned with her hands.

" _Think we can take them?_ " she signed.

Jaune shook his head and whispered, "Physically? Maybe, but we're still a mile out from the Tower and I don't want to attract too much attention. If they start howling, we might get a whole pack on our backs."

Mercury shrugged. "Alright then, what next? You're in charge here."

"No need to remind me…" he motioned to Emerald and pointed down the side street, mouthing 'scout'. She nodded and crept by, moving slowly and scanning the area.

Mercury followed her ten feet behind, then Jaune, then Neo. It was a simple military movement order, but it was effective. Jaune had decided on it earlier.

Neo mused on the fact that Jaune had been placed in charge of this. Mercury had proven to be the strongest - though she had no doubt that Jaune and Mercury had both been holding back a trump card, the same as her - and the short mission planning session they'd had revealed Mercury's past experience with the Grimmlands.

On top of that, both Cinder and Roman had predicted that Jaune would likely betray them.

She could tell why. It wasn't hard to see - sure, he might have had some powerful dad or something, but when you got right down to it, he'd been press ganged into the group. Even if they couldn't kill him without risking his dad's anger, there were still plenty of things they could have done - threatening his supposed sisters at the least, and kidnapping at the most.

He apparently knew everything, after all, so it was the least they could do to keep him in line.

Still, she couldn't help but think that allowing the liability to lead the mission was a bad idea. Which meant that it was probably Cinder's suggestion.

Neo sighed inwardly as they trekked along, following after Emerald. The Merlot Industries Tower loomed ahead in the distance, dark steel and equidistant windows for about fifty floors before transitioning into an all glass exterior. It was easily the tallest building in the city - and it was a miracle of engineering that it hadn't collapsed after, what, twenty, thirty years of Grimm infestation? Especially considering that, according to Jaune's briefing, the Grimm that caused the city's downfall had come from there, or at least the area around there. Maybe the old scientist had some experiments designed to repel Grimm, and they'd kept working after the fall.

Or maybe it was dumb luck and she shouldn't waste time thinking about it. Though she had a lot of time to dwell on things, during their long and mostly boring trek through the city. She still wasn't sure why they had to touch down three miles away from the Tower - Jaune had said it was to avoid attracting Grimm to the tower with their sudden presence, but surely two miles would have worked just as well!

Still, despite her complaints, she couldn't help but recognize the wisdom of the plan. After their weeks of working together, the thing that had surprised her most about Jaune was that he knew sign language- "It's an effective method of nonverbal communication," he explained, and if that was the reasoning then he'd probably learned from Roman - but the second most surprising thing was his intellect.

She'd expected some intelligence, considering that Roman had apparently been one of his teachers, but he'd proven knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects, outside of killing and crime.

Although, his knowledge of combat - of killing - was his most impressive wellspring. Even more so than her own, and Roman had taken care to teach her to be more than a fighter. Jaune had a varied education backed by real experience, which made him dangerous.

More dangerous than Mercury, by her count. Sure, Mercury was a better fighter, but she had no doubt that Jaune was already thinking about countermeasures for him, especially after their weeks of working together.

And knowing Jacob- well, knowing Jacob through Roman's stories, he was a much bigger threat than Raven Branwen. Sure, Raven could kill anyone at any time, but she didn't, and not just because she was afraid of retaliation. She and the Branwen tribe had a reputation, a code, and they stuck to it. They were bandits, ostensibly, but their methods fell more in line with an organized crime family than the mental idea of a 'rape, pillage, and burn' kind of bandit. Their raids used to be so, according to Roman, but ever since Raven had taken over, that had stopped. Violence was now a method of last resort, and usually whenever they 'raided' a place, it was more like Raven was coming by to get protection money.

The point being, Raven had rules.

Jacob didn't.

As they walked along, Neo musing on the situation, she couldn't help but think that Roman had fallen prey to a con himself - and bought whatever Cinder was selling.

She loved him, teacher and father that he was to her, but he'd taught her too well.

If push came to shove?

She'd side with Jaune.

* * *

We approached the building as quickly as we could without drawing a sound, walking briskly across the pavement towards the doors- or rather, the hole where they once were.. Emerald was in front, and we paused at the entrance as she quickly glanced around, checking for anything that would prove disadvantageous, whether it be some trap-type Grimm or old security systems running on reserve power.

After a moment, she gave us the go ahead and we moved in, all of us sweeping the entryway as I had taught them - and you'd better believe we all made sure to look up - before regrouping in a corner of the hall, near the main staircase.

We headed down the stairs. I was in the lead, with my shotgun pointing out and down. We all wore the night vision goggles, uncomfortable as they were, as we didn't want to alert anything down there to our presence. The flashlight on the end of the shotgun was a last resort more than anything else.

We moved slowly through the darkness, always checking every floor and keeping our eyes out for any Grimm. Considering this was possible ground zero, it would make sense for Grimm to have nested up here.

For whatever reason, we didn't see anything down through the parking garage. Maybe there had been something before, and they'd moved out through the Metro.

Whatever. No time to speculate.

We headed down to basement level three, and beelined for the server room. I was truly grateful for the night vision goggles now, as we were well beyond any natural light source, pushing their utility to its limits. We stopped at the corner to turn down the hall, only for me to have everyone pause.

There were three Grimm sniffing around the hall. Just Creeps, small bipedal creatures with no arms, a short pointed tail, and a sort of reptilian shaped head. Sharp teeth jutted out from their jaws, bone white, and they were grown enough to have some small bone plates covering their skin in a sort of pockmarked pattern. Not as armored as full adults, however.

I held my fist up to hold my team in place as I scanned the area, trying to spot where they may have nested or come from, but Mercury, apparently tired with my caution, rushed out.

I hissed at him to stop, but he ran on, unheeded. The Creeps turned to him, but he was already too close for them to do anything about it. He swung his legs around, performing a whirlwind combo that eviscerated the three Creeps, leaving them to disintegrate into wisps of smoke.

He took a deep, calming breath as he turned back towards us and held his hands out.

"See? Nothing to be scared of-"

A glowing green shape burst from the door across the hall, grabbed Mercury in its jaws, and slammed him through the doors to the server room.

I looked back to Neo and Emerald, nodded, and we all ran in to save him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I can't believe Mercury is fucking dead. Yeah no, but here's to show that Leeroy Jenkins-ing is never the best way to go about exploring a dangerous zone.**

 **And yes, the chapter title is a reference to the song by the Lost Weekend Western Swing Band.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Guest: You have touched on something with your idea of Salem having a larger goal. I will give you that much.**

 **ZenithTempest: You have a point in saying that power dynamics are confusing and not set in stone. This is because for the most part, aside from situations where a character would obviously stomp another (Case in point, Adam vs. the Guardians), strength is contextual. Jaune was able to beat Cinder because A: She was holding back and B: he used tricks she hadn't encountered before. That shit wouldn't work a second time.**

 **In the case of Adam vs. the Guardians, I'd like to point out that their strength was never explicitly stated. Blake simply mentioned that if they weren't up to a certain rank (3 if I remember correctly) that they wouldn't match up to Adam. And that's true - Adam is** _ **much**_ **stronger than most Guardians.**

 **Eventually I'll get around to making a generalized power level list or something, but for now, suffice it to say that Adam is Qrow-tier: stronger than Winter, weaker than Glynda.**

 **As for Blake killing, it's for some specific character development I have in mind down the line.**

 **Guest: You make a good point there. However, there is, of course, more to the White Fang than meets the eye, and more to the Faunus as a whole. We'll get there eventually.**


	11. Chapter 10: Fight and Flight

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Welp, here it is. Sorry it took so long, I was caught up writing bad smut because my muse** _ **really**_ **wanted to see the idea put to paper… er, screen.**

 **Fun fact, while writing Hot as Hell, I would literally get up and pace angrily every single time I wrote anything sexual. It took me like 3-4 days to write it because I just got distracted by that writing process.  
**

Chapter Ten: Fight and Flight

* * *

Looking back, it was clear to Neo that everything that went wrong was Mercury's fault.

She lagged behind Emerald and Jaune as they raced ahead - for once, her short stature was a disadvantage as their strides let them pull forward - and growled slightly to herself, making a mental note to add running to her training.

She flicked her parasol and drew the blade from Hush, keeping the fabric folded closed. It was a useful shield, but better to save that for when she knew an attack was incoming. As for the second blade hidden in the end of the parasol, well… better to keep that hidden entirely.

Gunshots rang out from within the server room as she turned the corner. Inside, the Grimm - some species unknown to her, reptilian and glowing green, did they usually do that? - thrashed around with Mercury in its jaws, his free left arm swinging wildly, fist smashing against the Grimm's jaw. His face was contorted in pain as he writhed, struggling to get free.

Emerald had fired some ice Dust, trapping the Creep and keeping it in place. It didn't stop it from mauling Mercury, however. Jaune, for his part, was rushing forward with his shotgun, taking advantage of the Grimm's obsession with Mercury to get in close. He pressed the barrel of his shotgun right up against the Grimm's eye and pulled the trigger.

...

Her eyes opened, blinking madly to get dirt out of them. After a moment she realized she was still wearing the night vision goggles - one of the lenses was cracked, but she still needed them to see. She shook her head - her whole body was aching, her ears ringing, the last thing she remembered - a gunshot, and a blast. The Grimm had exploded when Jaune shot it.

She surveyed the room. The servers were trashed, either outright destroyed by the blast or now covered in some green goop, perhaps a leftover substance from the Creep.

 _But Grimm don't leave anything behind when they die, right?_

She shook her head some more and looked around. Emerald was groaning, shaking her own head and checking herself and her guns. Apparently, since they were the furthest from the blast, they had been the least affected. Quickly, she eyed the door, but figured that if nothing had come in to finish them off while they were unconscious, then they should be fine for a while.

Her gaze wandered over to the center of the blast and - _shit, Jaune. Oh, and Mercury too I guess._

She got up, stumbling as she did so, and wandered over to them. She grimaced at the sight. Between the two of them, Jaune had fared better off, but that wasn't saying much. The shotgun he'd just bought had been destroyed in the blast, the barrel bent out of shape and the stock shattered into splinters. His night vision goggles had also been blown off his face, to shatter somewhere in the wreckage. Evidently, Jaune still hadn't figured out how to reinforce his weapons and equipment with Aura. Luckily, his supposedly insanely high levels of natural Aura had protected his actual body, but an explosion of that caliber definitely did _some_ harm. His left arm was covered in the green goop - idly, Neo poked it with her blade before grabbing a discarded server shelf and scraping it off of him - thankfully, it didn't seem to be radioactive or toxic, at least not by touch. She let him lie there for a moment, now that he was more or less stable, as she turned to Mercury.

He was fucked. The blast had clearly broken his Aura completely, evidenced by the fact that his right arm was bent the wrong way. To make matters worse, his right prosthetic had been utterly destroyed in the blast - in fact, it had been torn off and was stuck in the wall. His left prosthetic didn't look much better. His vest had worked as intended, and his torso wasn't completely mangled or crushed, but the vest was definitely broken, his grenades destroyed and inert. Though, better the equipment than his actual body, she supposed. He'd been through enough of that for one life. His head sported a small injury - a small trail of blood led down onto the floor. It hadn't bled enough to pool, so perhaps there was some time to save him.

She sighed tiredly as she moved over to Jaune, rolling him onto his side to get into his backpack. She knew he had a first-aid kit somewhere in there.

As she grabbed it, Emerald limped up. "Are they okay?" she asked.

Neo pointed at Jaune and gave a thumbs up. She pointed to Mercury and gave a thumbs down.

Emerald nodded. "Here, pass me the smelling salts. I'll wake Jaune up."

Neo did so and brought the rest of the kit over to Mercury. Idly, she wondered why Emerald wanted to be the one to take care of Jaune, but whatever. Apparently, the girl's vitriol for Mercury was quite strong if she was more concerned with Jaune than a partner she'd worked with for a while.

* * *

Emerald grumbled as Neo moved away to help Mercury. She briefly wondered what the other girl was thinking. No doubt she thought it strange that Emerald hadn't offered to help Mercury herself, since they were technically partners under Cinder.

 _Yeah, fuck him._ As far as she cared, Mercury could bite it. They just needed him for his combat ability, but there were loads of Assassins out there. If need be, they could just hire one. Hell, Jaune, Junior, or Roman probably knew plenty of people who could fill Mercury's role, and more. His only real value was that he would be basically homeless without Cinder's help, and therefore worked for free.

 _Like you're much better._

At least she knew it, which was why she was going to do… this. Cinder had given her a task, and though she didn't know the first thing about seduction, Emerald wasn't about to disappoint her.

Based on her research, guys liked to be nursed by cute girls, or something. So while she wasn't really expecting - or hoping - for this bullshit to go down, she was more than ready to take advantage of it.

She lifted Jaune's head slightly off the ground and placed it on her lap. Though any sensation was dulled by her clothes in the way, she couldn't help but blush at the absurdity of the situation. She shook her head and composed herself before shaking the smelling salts under Jaune's nose, trying to get him to inhale the chemical.

He inhaled sharply and his eyes shot open as he sat up, coughing. Emerald moved to place her hand on his shoulder, steadying him as she offered him his canteen. He took a drink as he surveyed the scene, then turned to her.

"Emerald? What happened?"

"Not sure. You shot the Grimm and it exploded… and now we're here. Neo and I woke up first, probably because we were further from the blast. Nothing's attacked us since we woke up. Merc's hurt pretty bad, and I only woke you up with the smelling salts," she motioned with them.

"So that's what the burning in my nose is… did you hold it right under my nose?"

"Yeah, why?"

"For future reference, the recommended use is from four to six inches away from the nose. Too close and the chemicals could cause some damage. I think I'm fine, though."

Slowly, he got up, and checked himself for wounds.

"Aside from a few aches and bruises, I don't seem to be too injured. I'll have to check myself for a concussion once we get back, however… Did you check the time?"

"Oh, shoot. Hang on." Emerald pulled out her Scroll and turned it on. "We've been out for a half hour."

"That long and nothing's come to attack us? Lucky. Must not be much else on these floors."

"Yeah, speaking of what's on these floors, what was up with that? I've never heard of an exploding Grimm."

There was a crack and they both winced as Neo had apparently attempted to reset Mercury's bone.

"Right… never heard of one glowing green, either. Maybe Merlot was up to something after all. Might find something on one of these hard drives-" he glanced around at the destruction. "Okay, well, if you're up, watch the door and let me know if anything comes around. Neo's still fixing up Merc, so I'll see if any of these hard drives are still salvageable."

Emerald nodded and moved towards the door, but stopped, turned and put her hand on Jaune's shoulder once more.

"Hey. Uh, I know this is weird, but… don't blame yourself for what happened. You couldn't have known that the Grimm would blow up."

Jaune blinked, a mixed expression on his face before it softened somewhat. "Uh, thanks. For what it's worth, you did good, trapping it with your Ice shots."

She nodded before moving towards her post.

That was good, right? It wasn't _seduction_ per se, but endearing herself to Jaune even slightly was worth a shot, and his expression at the end had hinted at some sort of appreciation. Even if the whole lap pillow thing didn't go as planned, at least that had worked, right?

She shook her head as she got to the door. Whatever, she'd have time to work on it. Now was the time to focus and keep them all alive.

* * *

 _Man, that was weird. I wonder what's up with Emerald?_

I pushed aside those and other idle thoughts as I rummaged through the wreckage, my spare flashlight making things visible in the darkness. The explosion had ruined my shotgun, but I salvaged whatever ammo had remained intact - just a few shells. My bag was intact since I carried it on my back, and my pistol as well since I used a holster attached to the back of my hips. My armor plating was cracked a bit, but not as bad as it could have been. Good thing Cinder awakened my Aura.

Once my equipment was all checked out, I scanned the room a little more intently. Neo had finished fixing up Mercury, but he was still out. Probably for the better - if he woke up in pain, he might scream and attract attention to us. Neo had instead moved on to the wall, and was trying to pry Mercury's leg prosthetic from it. Emerald was positioned at the door, keeping an eye out like I'd instructed.

As for the room itself, it was unsalvageable. The explosion had destroyed all the server shelves, and the weird green goop that came from the Grimm covered everything else. It glowed softly with some strange, almost unearthly luminescence, keeping the area somewhat visible, but not enough that I didn't need the flashlight.

Green goop... it wasn't corrosive since the shelves and floor weren't affected by it, but could I transport it?

I pulled out my canteen and took a quick swig. I didn't want to just waste it, so I called out.

"Emerald."

She glanced over and caught the canteen. She looked at it, then me, confused.

"Take a drink, and pass it to Neo if there's any left. I wanna get a sample of this green stuff."

She nodded in understanding and opened it up herself, drinking some before tossing it to Neo as I walked around looking for an intact hard drive. Eventually, I found one in the corner that seemed to be completely unaffected by either the explosion or the goopy aftermath. It took some work but I disconnected it from its place and put it in my backpack.

As I did so, Neo walked up and passed me my empty canteen. I nodded my thanks and gave her the smelling salts.

"Wake Mercury up, but be ready to gag him if his pain is too much for him. The kit should have some painkillers."  
She nodded as I turned with the canteen towards one of the piles of goop. Obviously, I wasn't about to touch the stuff, so I grabbed a broken piece of metal and scooped some into the canteen.

A grunt of pain alerted me to Mercury's awakening, so I put the canteen in my pack and walked over to check on him.

He had sat up and was drinking from his own canteen. Neo had brought over his right prosthetic, but it was too damaged to reattach.

As I approached, I asked, "You okay Mercury? How's your Aura?"

"Painkillers haven't kicked in yet, so everything hurts. As for my Aura…" He concentrated for a moment, then shook his head and winced when the action caused him some pain. "Don't have enough to do anything with."

"In that case, we're gonna have to cut the mission short. We'll skip the server rooms and go straight for Merlot's office, then evac from the roof as planned. Emerald, can you carry Mercury?"

She whipped her head over. Her eyes narrowed into a scowl. "Just leave him."

I blinked. "What?"

"His carelessness caused this in the first place. He's a failure. Cinder would leave him. And that way we could still get to the other server rooms."

"Cinder might, but I'm not Cinder. I'm not going to leave him to die in this hellhole while there's still a chance. If you won't carry him," I took off my backpack, walked over and held it out to her, "then carry my stuff. And be careful, the hard drive and the goop can are in there."

She continued to scowl at me for a moment, then sighed and took it. "Fine, but only for you," she muttered.

' _Only for me'? Does Emerald like me or something? Or is it just that the only other predominant guy her age is Mercury and he's a douche?_

 _Whatever, I can address her weirdness later. Focus on the now._

I nodded as I passed off my stuff and went back to Mercury. He had tossed the broken prosthetic, but not until after taking all the Dust crystals from their set places. Once he was ready, I picked him up and draped him over my shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"Neo, lead us out. Twenty feet lead, stay on your toes. Sign to me if you see something. Emerald, behind me, and watch our backs." I pulled my pistol out and held it at the ready. "Let's go."

We moved out, with Neo moving slowly now, the last attack fresh in her mind. She wasn't about to repeat Mercury's mistake.

As we reached the stairs, I looked up and sighed.

"Here's to leg day…"

...

We began the climb. Five, ten, twenty, thirty landings… and still so far from the top. Eventually, we had to sit and rest around the fortieth floor. As we sat and recovered, Mercury took a swig from his canteen and offered it to me, as I had sacrificed my own. Emerald and Neo sat apart from us, each eyeing the way up and down respectively.

I took it, and nodded my thanks.

"Look, just…" he began, then stopped, unsure of himself. "Why did you choose to save me anyway? I hate to say Emerald was right about anything, but... You'd have a much easier time of things, and you could probably get more stuff."

I shook my head. "I told Cinder, I'm trying to become a Guardian. And I'd be a pretty shitty Guardian if I just left someone to die when I could still do something about it."

"Well... thanks."

"Oh make no mistake Mercury, you owe me."

He flinched, apparently not expecting me to be so brazen about my mercenary tendencies.

"So what do you want? A favor?"

"Nothing so vague. Nah, I just want you to cover the costs of all the equipment I just lost - the shotgun, the goggles, and anything else I had that broke in the blast."

"Well, there goes most of my share of the pay…"

"I suppose so." I passed the canteen back to him and asked, "hey Merc?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you work with Cinder?"

"Why do you ask?"

"See, most people in our business do things because they _want_ to do them. Roman steals because it's his livelihood, but he could do just about anything with his skills. He _chooses_ to steal because he _likes stealing._ He likes the rush, the theatrics, the chase, all the drama associated with his name. Same for my old man - he kills people because he likes proving that he's stronger than them. I figure Raven's the same way. So why do you do this?"

For a few moments, he was silent as he took a few sips. Then, he replied "Honestly Jaune? I was kinda forced into it, same as you. She found me while she was looking for my dad."

"What happened to your dad?"

"I killed him."

"Huh. Lucky."

"I know. Managed to catch him when he was dead drunk, and right after a job so he was injured. If he had been even a little bit sober, he'd have killed me."

"So what? You're in too deep now?"

"A little bit. Part of it is that even if I wasn't forced into this, I don't know what I'd be doing. Maybe I'd just be following my dad's footsteps and killing people like he did. Maybe I'd have starved to death or been killed by something else out there. Who knows? But I do know that as long as I'm with Cinder, I can see tomorrow."

"Is there any worth in living to see another day if you're not doing so of your own volition? Do you even have any goals or wants, Mercury, or do you just do what you're told because you don't have anything better to do?"

He was silent for another moment before he eventually said, "Well, I suppose I would like to find the restaurant that had that really nice steak."

"Restaurant?"

"On my flight in, they had this documentary about food in Vale. I thought it would be boring, but the food itself was fun to look at. And you see, there was this place that just had the - _juiciest -_ steak you'd ever seen…"

* * *

Mercury wasn't sure what to think about Jaune. On the one hand, he was probably going to have to kill him at some point. On the other, no one had ever taken his side in… well, anything. No one had ever had his back, had ever defended him from the cruelty of others.

Just as Cinder had let him see tomorrow, so had Jaune quite literally given him his life back. When the road to tomorrow had been closed, Jaune had offered to carry him the rest of the way.

Such a debt could not be taken lightly, no matter how Jaune tried to brush it off with material payback.

His father, Marcus, would probably wax about how both he and Jaune were weak for allowing some sense of morality to control their judgements and actions, but then again, the man was dead, so his opinions could fuck right off into whatever hell he was burning in.

Well, it would need some consideration. No sense in rushing to a conclusion. He'd made that mistake with Cinder, so better to wait and see where the chips fall.

...

Eventually, after what seemed like forever, they reached the top of the building, the stair entrance to Merlot's private laboratory and quarters.

"Emerald."

"Right."

Without any further word, she moved up from the back of the column and began inspecting the doorway. Finding it satisfactorily safe, she reached into her hip bags and pulled out some tools.

"How long's it gonna take to pick the lock?" Mercury asked.

Emerald glanced back with scorn on her face, before turning to the door. "Pick the lock… what kind of amateur…" she muttered to herself as she slipped a sturdy wire with a hooked end under the door gap. She shifted it around for a moment before pulling on it - with a click, the door swung open, having opened up from the inside. Rather than jumping straight in, however, she held her hand up to give the group pause and looked into the room.

After a moment, she pulled out one of her pistols and took aim, firing four times into the room. Once she was satisfied, she stood up and nodded.

They went in. Mercury noted that Emerald had shot four protrusions from the wall.

"What'd you hit?"

"Based on the schematics, thermal sensors."

"Wouldn't shooting them set them off?"

"Not by shooting them with Ice Dust. Most thermal sensors only track increases in temperature. And it was a precaution more than anything, they shouldn't be powered after all this time."

"Enough chit chat. Emerald, Neo, rummage around and see if you can find any paper documents about the experiments, or Merlot's private computer. If you can, bring them all in." Jaune rummaged around in his pack before handing something to Mercury. "Here, call in our location and that we need evac."

"An old radio? Why not just use your Scroll?"

"I set this up with Roman during our preparations. Radio isn't as reliable as Scroll communications, but it's harder to track or trace. The frequency should be one twenty-five point seventy-four. Here's a little flash card of our callsigns," he added as he passed over a small paper card.

Mercury took the radio and began fiddling with it. After a few minutes of working through the radio channels, he finally heard the callsign they'd established with their pickup crew.

"Callsign Rook, this is Callsign Knight. We're ready for extraction at landing zone Alpha."

"Callsign Knight, we read you. ETA of one hour. You're calling in earlier than expected, are there any complications?"

"We have one wounded. Aura down. KC has designated the mission to be canceled early. We do have some success to report, however."

"Ten-four, ETA fifty-nine. Hang tight."

With that, Mercury shut off the radio and checked on everyone else. Emerald and Neo had split up to check the actual rooms, while Jaune was grabbing something from his bag.

Merlot's private laboratory was split into two levels - the lower level, which was a small private laboratory, or it was at one point. Apparently the place had been sealed rather well, as the space was largely intact despite the decades of abandonment. Bookshelves remained standing and filled, glass chemistry equipment was undamaged, and a whole host of other things he couldn't even begin to understand the purpose of was also relatively untouched. Emerald had started to open up all the cabinets and examine them for any hidden documents - as well as doubly hidden hiding spaces - before poring over the shelves for anything that stood out.

The top floor was a small living quarters - a connected bed and bathroom, and a kitchen on the side. Most of the top floor was made up of a large study and private library. Neo was up in the study, around the desk area. She seemed to grab something, and came back down with a computer.

"Merlot's private computer? Good get, Neo."

Jaune had pulled out the briefcase with the rifle parts from within his bag. With a click, he opened the briefcase and began constructing the rifle as Neo placed the computer within the bag.

Neo signed something to Jaune and he replied, "When our ride gets here it'll probably stir up a response in the local Grimm. Emerald, have you found anything?"

She walked back over. "A few Dust vials, but nothing important. Most of the stuff on the shelves is just resource material. There are no written notes or audio recordings."  
"Might have been destroyed in the evacuation, or taken with Merlot, wherever he went. Might even be down the tower somewhere. Whatever, we've got- Mercury, what's the ETA?"

He checked his scroll. "Fifty minutes."

"Fifty minutes. Let's move upstairs into the private quarters and rest. At ETA fifteen we'll head up to the roof."

* * *

It was ETA thirty when I was alerted to a very serious problem.  
I had been exploring Merlot's library and resource material, as well as his chemistry equipment - I'd picked a few books and stuffed them in my pack, along with some chemical containers. You can't go wrong with homemade explosives.

Neo tapped my shoulder and signed, _Emerald checked out the roof. She found a big Grimm._

"How big?"

 _Adult Beowolf. Not Alpha, but was green like the Creep in the basement._

"So possibly mutated somehow. Shit, I don't think we could take a regular Beowolf, at least not without Mercury. A mutant Beowolf might kill us."

Neo nodded, then led me up the stairs. At the top, by the door leading to the roof, Emerald stood next to the door, her guns out. As we approached, she nodded out the door. I pulled out my pistol just to be armed and crept up, looking out the open door.

The roof spread out from the door, which had led up from the far end of Merlot's living quarters. There were actually two staircases that led up to the roof, the other on the far side of the living quarters - probably a fire code thing.

The roof itself was rather plain - aside from the helicopter pad and the staircase entrances, there wasn't much, just some air vents and other generic things you might find on a roof.

Oh, and the giant Grimm in a cage. That kinda stood out.

Emerald was right, it was a Beowolf, and it was big. It was hard to tell since it seemed to be asleep - Grim slept? - inside a cage, curled in on itself. However, even as it was I could tell it was bigger than us, which made its full height at least ten or twelve feet. It barely fit in the cage, which was oddly cartoonish in how stereotypical of a cage it was - just metal bars between two metal plates. Assuming it had been here since Mountain Glenn's collapse, that put it at over forty years old, which explained its size. But that didn't explain the green spikes on its back, which replaced the typical white bone-like spikes on most Grimm. It also didn't explain why they glowed, like the Creep in the basement.

I guess it was safe to say that Merlot had been studying Grimm after all, and even experimenting on them.

Quickly, I pulled out my Scroll, and used the camera to take some pictures of it. I then looked to Emerald and nodded. Softly, she let the door shut and we went down the stairs.

Once we were safely in Merlot's quarters, Mercury piped up from the bed, where he had asked to lie down on. "So is it big?"

"Yeah, big. Lemme see the radio, we can't take it out with our weapons."

"Not even your rifle?"

"Maybe from point blank, but from what I've read about Grimm, adults are tough enough to withstand just about any form of small arms fire, and there's no telling what that green mutation means for it. The Creep blew up, but we can't assume it'll be the same for a Beowolf."

"At the same time, we can't assume it _won't_ be the same," Emerald noted.

"Right." I called up the bullhead that was picking us up once more. "Callsign Rook, this is Callsign Knight, do you copy?"

"Callsign Knight, this is Callsign Rook. ETA twenty-five, is there an issue?"

"Callsign Rook there's a big Beowolf on the roof, more than we can handle with our man down. What are the armaments of your bullhead?"

"Standard armament, a twenty-mili autocannon on the front. Are the Grimm's bone plates developed enough to tank that?"

"I doubt it, it didn't seem to be an Alpha."

"We'll see you in twenty-three, be ready to move fast once we get there. That Beowolf will be the least of our problems once our shots ring out."

"Copy Rook, Knight out." I looked out to the others and said, "Let's get ready."

* * *

Blake stared at the bundle on her cot. In it was everything she owned - her books and clothes, and some supplies for the road. Gambol Shroud lay next to it, the black blade sheathed and leaning against the bag.

"You're really leaving, then?"

Adam stood behind her, at the entrance to her tent. Wilt and Blush hung from his hip, but he remained passive. His arms were crossed as he stood tall, judging her, finding her cowardice disgraceful.

Blake shook her head. "I'm sorry, Adam. I know what we're fighting for is right, but I… I can't keep killing people."

"You don't have to kill people to fight, Blake. There are other roles you could serve - if not in active combat, then as a recruiter, operations planner, or in training the others."

"I know I could, and I know that I'm pushing a lot on you by leaving, but… I just need a clean break. I need to start over, do something that… that makes me feel like I'm making things right."

"Do you think you did something wrong, working with me in the Fang?"

"I… I think our _reasons_ are right, but killing all those people was wrong. Especially all the Faunus we killed. Like Karen."

"Who?"

"From the train?" She turned to Adam and shook her head. "Do you not even remember their names?"

"The name of a dead enemy isn't worth remembering."

"She wasn't just an enemy- she was a Faunus! She's what we're supposed to be fighting for!"

"She was a Specialist and a traitor to our kind. An enemy. Like all the others-"

"That you had me kill?" She shook her head sadly. "It was always me or Illia doing it, too… Did you get tired of doing it yourself?"

"Enough. You've proven that you won't change your mind." He turned to leave the tent. "I'll walk you to the edge of the forest."

Left alone, Blake sighed, and idly touched her ears through her bow before collecting her things.

Adam was waiting for her just outside the tent.

"Let's go," he said.

…

They traversed quietly through the forest. The leaves of Forever Fall fell slowly around them, bathed blue in the full moon's light. Blake followed after Adam, not paying too much attention to her surroundings - she was too focused on the storm inside her.

After about an hour's walk, Adam broke her from her reverie. "We're here."

She shook her head and said, "Thanks for walking me out here-"

She stopped in her tracks. This was the edge of the forest, to be sure, but it was nowhere near a road.

A cliff extended out in front of her, before dropping beyond her sight. In the distance, she could see the dim light of a far off village, and the sound of a rushing river came from the bottom of the drop.

"Goodbye, Blake."

That was the only warning she had as she activated her Semblance, leaving a clone behind as she leaped forward, rolling in the dirt to come up facing Adam.

She hadn't been fast enough.

Her left hand dropped down and put pressure on the cut on her leg. She hadn't focused her Aura, and Adam's raw strength and speed were more than enough to punch through the automatic protection Aura provided.

Her right drew the blade of Gambol Shroud, holding it out in front of her warily. Slowly, Adam walked forward, shaking the blood off of Wilt.

"Why are you doing this?" Blake asked.

"...are you serious? Blake… did you think that being Ghira's daughter would make you exempt from the same punishment as all the other deserters?"

Her eyes widened in shock. _Why didn't I expect this? No, I know why. I was too focused on resolving myself to do this. I didn't expect that Adam actually_ would _do his own dirty work. Too late to back out now, though._

She shook her head. "I just… I just wanted to do something good."

"With your skills? What would you do, become a police officer? A Guardian? No, you know too much to be left alive. Goodbye, sister. I loved you."

"I loved you too, Adam."

Silence reigned, their words spent. Adam stared hard at her through his mask as he sheathed his sword.

Blake tensed, but instinctively knew there was only one way out of this.

Adam's foot shifted, and Blake immediately used her Semblance once more to backflip off the cliff as Adam struck the place she once was. Even still, Adam was fast enough to catch her as she leaped, leaving a thin, flowing cut across her stomach.

She fell silently into the rushing waters of the river below and disappeared from Adam's sight.

Adam flicked the blood of his blade and stared down at where she'd fallen.

"...the next time we meet, I won't hold back. Good luck, Blake."

He walked away, sheathing his sword as he headed back to the camp.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I can't believe Blake's fucking dead. Hey wait a minute, I said that about Mercury last chapter! One more, and we'll get into a rut!**

 **Well, one last bit of Mountain Glenn and then we can finally fucking move on. Based on my current plans, we should finally hit Beacon by Chapter 16.**

 **Author's Note 2: Review Replies**

 **Anon-kun (Guest):** Glad to hear you liked the story! I know it's late, but I hope the spaghetti was good. Don't worry, we'll see Ozpin soon enough.

 **hirshja:** Uh, I don't know what you mean. I do put line breaks. Do you read in Night Mode or something? Because when I read in Night Mode on my phone, Line Breaks are invisible for some reason.

 **Guest who wrote like 3 paragraphs:** I'm glad to hear that you like the fic! Thanks for reading. As for the 'Other Heroes', don't worry, they're coming in soon enough. It's just that most of them don't have much reason for being in the story at the moment. But don't worry, Jaune won't be alone in the fight for much longer.


	12. Chapter 11: Turnover

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

 **Author's Note: Welp. Here it is. Wasn't in time for Valentines, my bad. It's a bit of a transitory chapter - well, most of this Act has been transitory stuff. It's mostly just setup for stuff far down the line really. T-Minus Five Chapters to Beacon baby!  
**

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Turnover

We had to move fast. As soon as the Bullhead approached, it opened fire on the Beowolf, doing damage - but not enough to kill it outright. Some of the shots bounced off the mutated bone-like armor, while the ones that hit lacked the stopping power to destroy it entirely - perhaps an increase in durability was caused by its mutation.

Enraged, it began thrashing around, shattering the cage and throwing the pieces at the Bullhead, which swerved to avoid it. As planned, it strafed around the building, still firing, in order to hover above us while damaging the Grimm.

For our part, we got moving as soon as the first shots were fired. We burst from the stairwell, Neo in the lead. The Bullhead reached its stopping point and the back bay door opened, Roman greeting us.

"Hurry up, kids!" He called out. "Let's get outta here, we don't want to stick around when the Grimm get riled up!"

Neo obliged first, quickly leaping up the ten foot jump into the back of the Bullhead. Right behind her, Emerald fired a few Ice Dust shots at the Grimm, pinning its feet to the floor as I physically launched Mercury up into Neo's waiting arms, knocking her to the floor of the Bullhead.

Which is right about when things went typically wrong.

The Beowolf reared up and slammed its forepaws into the roof, sending out a row of green spikes racing towards the bullhead, as well as Emerald and I.

In the back of my mind, some part of me wondered how the attack worked - wouldn't the spikes just pierce through the roof and fall into Merlot's living quarters? How did the mutation allow the Grimm to do something similar to a Dust attack?

The forefront of my mind was more focused on important things, like keeping me alive. I shoved Emerald out of the way and dodged along with her, even as the Bullhead rose up to avoid a few large spikes that jutted up towards it.

I slung my Model Blitzschlag around from my back as I rose from the ground, Emerald rolling into a crouch beside me. It was heavy and unbalanced, meant to be used prone, not on the go. The rounds were smaller in diameter than that used by the Bullhead, but with the right timing and a good shot, I'd be able to get a round into a weak spot.

The hard part of that plan was that I didn't know jack shit about fighting Grimm, aside from common sense tactics like shooting the eyes and head.

 _All those years, learning to kill people and I learn absolutely nothing about how to deal with the superhuman monsters roaming the world. Thanks, dad._

"What's the plan, Jaune?" Emerald's voice wavered in fear behind me. It was understandable, as she was the weakest of us. Not just in ability, but in Aura too - one hit and she'd probably go down, not to mention what would happen to her if the Grimm knocked her off the roof.

Still, I had a basic plan in mind for something as simple as 'how do we deal with a single strong enemy.'

"Stay back and blast it- focus on trapping it with Ice Dust. I'm gonna rush in and get a clean shot to it's face - when I rush, hit it with Lightning Dust to make it seize up."

I didn't wait for a confirmation - there was no time, and it was unnecessary as I immediately heard her start to shoot. A few shots went astray but enough hit to pin the Beowolf's legs to the roof as I ran up. It reared its arm back and once again, time seemed to slow down for me.

My Semblance, as I had figured it out to be. I had thought it to simply be a phenomenon of battle, but after doing some private training and Aura meditation in my room, I'd determined that my Semblance allowed me to enhance my senses.

When someone "sees" something, what they see with each passing second is simply an image of reality reflected by light onto their eyes and - for lack of a better phrase - scanned by the nerves into the brain and thus perceived.

For me, time seemed to be slowing down, but that was not the case - it was simply that my brain's processing of visual information had been enhanced to the point that things _appeared_ to be moving slowly. It was a bit discordant and headache inducing to hear the things around me in real time while watching the claw move in slow motion. I'd done some experimentation and it seemed to work with all my senses, but further practice was necessary before I could say I truly understood my Semblance.

In any case, the extra mental "second" of perception gave me enough time to react and slip under the claw. I was able to see the lightning blast from Emerald's Dust shot spread across the Grimm's hide and stun it, giving me the chance I needed.

I pressed the end of the barrel of my Blitzschlag against the Grimm's eye and braced myself before pulling the trigger.

The boom of the rifle was practically thunderous at this close range, the impact even more so - for I could see with my enhanced sight as the round exited the barrel, only to scrape and _bounce off_ the Beowolf's eye into the distance.

Fucking bullshit.

I used the rifle as an impromptu shield as the Grimm backhanded me, slamming me through the wall of the stairwell and down the stairs. As I recovered, I threw the Blitzschlag away - it was broken and useless now - and pulled out my pistol as I raced back up the stairs, only to open the doors to see the roof awash with fire.

I looked up to see Roman launch flare after flare from his cane, clearly intending to burn away the Grimm and destroy it utterly. After about five shots, Roman paused, and Neo peeked out from behind him in curiosity.

The Grimm had basically been defeated as a result of Roman's barrage. It's 'fur' had been melted off, leaving behind blood red 'flesh' that shifted in ways animal muscle would not be able to. The bone plates and spikes had been charred black, save for those that glowed green from the mutation.

It let out a blood curdling howl and struggled to move, raising its head toward Roman on the ship.

Roman let loose a few more shots, and after that, nothing was left but ash.

* * *

The flight back seemed to pass by quicker than the flight there.

To be fair, Emerald had passed out for much of it, so maybe that had something to do with it.

The plains of the Agricultural District passed below the Bullhead as they flew in north, towards the Industrial District, where they would land and take a car to The Just Right.

As they approached the landing zone, Emerald briefly reflected on what had happened in Mountain Glenn.

 _We almost died._ _ **I**_ _almost died. First the explosion, and then a fight with a fully grown Beowolf, something that even Guardians are supposed to fight in teams?_

 _Not to mention it was mutated, stronger than a normal one. For Jaune's gun to do no damage at close range, the mutation must be powerful stuff. As much as I hate to owe him, we were lucky that Roman was there to finish it off._

Sure, Jaune had been the only one hit by the creature - and even in that instance he had been lucky to be thrown into a wall and not off the roof - but it had almost taken out the Bullhead with it's mutation.

 _If that had happened…_

She shook her head free of the distracting thoughts and went back to her book.

 _So the Occipital Lobe is what controls sight. Or more accurately, it 'processes visual information taken in from the eyes'. Fine, easy enough to understand. But I can't get by with just sight alone. I need to be able to manipulate a person's vision and hearing at the same time, at the very least. I need to know how they're connected._

 _I need to be more powerful._

* * *

Neo watched from the corner of the room, relaxing with her usual choice of self-reward after a job well done.

Lemon meringue pie.

In the center of the room, Jaune and Emerald debriefed Roman and Cinder, and handed over all the stuff they'd found in the ruins. Mercury was getting some medical treatment from an underworld doctor in one of the other rooms. Jaune had actually put forth his own money to pay Junior for the cost of it, something that they'd all taken notice of.

 _Jaune is making a move on Mercury's loyalty._ Judging by their conversation in the stairwell, Mercury's loyalty to Cinder was based more on fear than actual loyalty to begin with. Add in the fact that Emerald - and by her own words, Cinder - would have abandoned him, and his ties with them were tenuous at best.

Cue Jaune's sense of morality stepping in to save his life. By Mercury's own words, he would not forget his debt to Jaune, and owed him.

Cinder would have to step up her game to keep a hold of him.

Mentally, Neo considered the way things stood.

 _If Jaune were to betray Cinder now, he'd probably have Mercury at his back - assuming he goes into it with as good a plan as the one he used to beat her the first time around. Roman would stay out of it unless either Raven or Jack poked their heads in and told him to pick a side. I'd either stay neutral with Roman, or side with Jaune if someone forcibly involved me. Emerald is slavishly obsessed with Cinder._

 _So when you get down to things, the likelihood of Jaune betraying Cinder now is low since he can't account for Roman's position to any degree of certainty._

 _But…_

Neo narrowed her eyes as Roman gave Jaune a dossier - filled with information on the next job.

The Assassination of Amber Corona, 'The Guardian of Forever Fall.'

 _He might just try something when there's a Guardian in the mix. Cinder should keep a better eye on him if she wants to keep him in line._

She saw as Jaune gave a curt nod and left, not sparing any of them a second glance. Almost immediately, Cinder turned away and began speaking with Emerald, likely scheming something to do with him.

 _Or, she could get Emerald to do it for her… Big mistake, Cinder. Emerald doesn't have what it takes to keep Jaune obedient._

Neo smirked and tittered quietly to herself as she continued to eat.

* * *

Mercury lay awake in the dark of his room, thinking about his failure.

 _I messed up. No, I fucked up. Dad warned me never to let my guard down… Well, not like he followed his own advice, the bastard. Guess that should have been more than enough reason to actually keep the advice, though._

He looked down at his left arm, an IV inserted in, and then his eyes traced down to his legs - well, the stumps of his legs.

 _And my legs are trashed too… Unless I can fix them up, Cinder might just kill me for being useless. I'll have to-_

His scroll rang on the table beside him. He struggled to reach it with his left arm without putting too much pressure on his right, which was still in a makeshift cast. As he grabbed it, he checked who was calling.

 _Watts? What's he want?_

He took a moment to dim the scroll's brightness before answering.

"Uh, Doctor Watts? You need something?"

"As a matter of fact young man, I have an inquiry for you. Cinder's informed me that your mission was a success, albeit at the cost of your effectiveness in combat."

"Yeah, my weapons - my legs, are busted."

"Good."

"Good!?"

"Yes, good. You see, I had recently been tinkering with some prosthetics of my own - nothing like Polendina's amateur work, but true extensions of the body, and weapons of grand efficacy as well. They do need some testing, however… which is where you come in."

"How do the weapons fare?"

"Deadlier than the scrap heap you called weapons before. Wind Dust is an interesting choice for weapons, but with some testing, I can outfit you with something more effective on that end as well."

"I'll do it."

"Excellent! I trust you have the old ones lying around?"

"They're trashed, but yes."

"They'll still be useful for making measurements. One moment please."

He ended the call and Mercury sat confused for a moment before gasping as a portal suddenly opened in the room. His mouth gaped as Watts stepped through, carrying his old brown doctor's bag. It remained open, and after a moment Raven stepped through before closing the portal.

Mercury stayed silent as Raven briefly glanced at him, before stepping out the door.

"She's on her way to talk to her brat," Watts explained as he stepped towards Mercury. "But enough of that. Remove the blanket, I need to measure your stumps. And seeing as you no longer need them, I shall be taking your old weapons as well. Their design will provide some insight into making these prosthetics effective weapons for you."

Mercury was silent and allowed Watts to concentrate. It took a few minutes for him to get all the measurements he needed, after which he collected the trashed weapons and nodded before he simply called Raven's name and stepped into a ready-made portal once more.

Mercury blinked a few times before settling back into bed, happy to know that his failure was not the end for him.

He would be stronger for it.

* * *

Blake grunted as she stumbled through the darkened streets. Exhaustion from braving the river the night before left her muscles sore and aching, her breath ragged. Her bag felt heavy on her back, made worse by the fact that she'd had to stuff Gambol Shroud inside to avoid suspicion. Compounding the issue, she hadn't slept since then, having been on the move to both avoid any interaction with the police, or worse, other Faunus.

She didn't want any word of her presence getting back to Adam. That would be worse than jail.

Her badly bandaged wounds chafed and twinged as she took another step, almost driving her to collapse, but she pushed herself onwards. Here in the slums on the edges of Vale, she couldn't afford to pass out. There would be no telling what might befall her here.

"Blake? Is that you? Are you okay?"

Or she could be spotted and recognized by someone. Gods, what were the odds?

She turned her head and looked into the concerned, yet unsurprised blue eyes of a blonde man she hadn't seen in weeks.

"Jaune?"

"Yeah, it's me. Blake, what happened? Do you need to go to-"

"No!" she shouted, then winced at her volume. "No hospitals. I can't go to one of those, I - I don't have insurance."

"Blake, you do know that regardless of cost doctors are required by oath to treat-"

"No! I- I don't have anything life threatening. Some basic first-aid is all I need. I don't need your help."

 _I can't get you involved in my problems! You're a civilian!_

Strangely, Jaune's eyes hardened at that point.

"Blake. Don't bullshit me. You 've been wounded pretty badly, and you're sleep deprived, probably on the run. You can't keep going on your own. I mean, what was your plan? Run until you collapse and then just hope some kind stranger takes pity on you? If that's the case, you might as well just come with me. I've got some first aid stuff and I've treated basic wounds before."

 _...okay, so you're more observant than I thought. Definitely experienced too, but in what manner? He does have a point though, I didn't have much of a plan in mind… must be the sleep deprivation. I am desperate for some help._

Blake sighed a moment, then nodded. "Okay, fine then. If you're willing to help me, then… I could use some."

Jaune nodded and slowly approached her, before taking one of her arms over his shoulder. "Lean on me," he said. "My place is just a few blocks from here."

Tiredly, she did as he said, her exhausted mind simply accepting his presence.

 _I guess things are looking up._

…

Staring down the barrel of the gun Jaune had pointed at her, Blake decided that things were _not_ looking up.

It had seemed all right at first. When they got to his apartment complex, Blake had met Jaune's landlord, a Faunus named Aurie. Apparently she knew Tukson, but Blake had never seen her at the rallies or any other White Fang event. Apparently she was well off enough to not have to worry about her place in Vale.

Lucky her.

Still, she had accepted the premise of her presence with Jaune easily enough. It was pretty convincing too - that her prior landlord had kicked her out once she had been revealed as a Faunus, and Jaune had offered to have her stay the night.

Aurie had been more than gracious and had no issue with it, even telling Blake to come by tomorrow to maybe discuss a more permanent move.

Once they got into Jaune's however, Blake noticed something was off. She couldn't quite place it - her tired mind was too distracted with her wounds and the efficacy of her lies to adequately analyze her surroundings - but certain things seemed _ever so slightly_ out of place, and her eyes roamed over them with abandon.

This had tipped Jaune off to the fact that Blake was more than just a girl on the run.

Which led to now.

Jaune had dropped Blake's bag off at the front of the apartment and let her down in a chair before going into the other room - for the first aid kit, he'd said. He'd promptly come back and sat down in the chair across from her, pointing the gun at her before she could say anything.

"So," Jaune started, "who are you really, Blake Belladonna?"

Blake blinked. "I'm- that's my name."

Jaune shook his head. "No, not your name, though if that's your real name I guess that explains some things, especially when considering that you're Faunus… or is it racist to assume you have a connection to the founder of the White Fang just because of that?"

"Uh…"

Jaune shook his head. "Whatever, you're exhausted and injured so you probably don't have the energy to consider that stuff. Let's keep things simple. Who trained you? You noticed all the places I'd hid my spare weapons as soon as we walked in here."

 _So that was it. Shit, who really is Jaune? He's definitely an Assassin or something. I might be able to take a shot or two on my Aura before I reach my bag - assuming I don't just avoid them with my Semblance - and once I have Gambol Shroud -_

She paused in her thoughts and took a closer look at the pistol in Jaune's hand. It was Gambol Shroud, but transformed into its pistol configuration.

 _Crap._

"Anytime, Blake."

 _Well, nothing left for me but the truth, I guess._

"...the White Fang."

"You still with them?"

"No. It's how I got hurt."

"What's your plan now?"

"Now… I'm not really sure. I left because… I was tired of the senseless violence, the killing. I joined because I believed in my father's goals and Sienna Khan's methods - that we should strive for peace and equality, but not be unwilling to fight for a righteous cause or our self defense. But…"

"Adam Taurus of the Vale Chapter, right? He's pretty infamous, though they've never even caught him on camera. Never seen what he looks like."

"He was my teacher. And… He pushed things too far. Sometimes I didn't think he was fighting for the sake of the Faunus, but for some personal goal."

"So back to the start- what's next for Blake Belladonna?"

"...Beacon."

"The Guardian Academy?"

"I was trained to fight, to kill… there's no taking that back. The least I can do is to atone for that, and use my skills to fight for a better world."

Jaune stared at her for a few moments, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. Finally, he placed Gambol Shroud on the table, with the handle facing her.

"All right, Blake. I'm going to trust you - for now. I'll get your wounds fixed up, and you can sleep on the bed tonight - but come tomorrow night, you're sleeping on the couch."

Tiredly, Blake just nodded her assent and, finally allowing her two days of exertion to catch up with her, nodded off in the chair as Jaune went to actually get the first aid equipment.

* * *

A while later, after I'd fixed Blake up and laid her to rest in my bed, I took a moment to call my sister before going to sleep.

After a few moments of ringing, Juli answered. She was laying in bed and had a soft smile as she greeted me. Her smile turned down and her eyes widened as she took me in, becoming concerned.

"Whoa Jaune, are you okay? You look tired and beat to hell!"

"Shh!"

"Wha- don't you 'shh' me!"

"No, Juli look - I have a friend sleeping over, and they're worse off than I am."

"Worse off? How can they be- no wait." She took a deep breath and calmed herself, something she'd mastered after having to practically raise the others. "Okay. Start from the top. Why are you hurt?"

"I was doing some training with my new friend, and things got a little excessive. We're fine though, no one's injured."

"Who's your new friend?"

"Blake. She's a Guardian-in-training too, and also looking to go to Beacon. I met her while working at the store, and we decided to pool our resources." Well, nothing I said was a lie.

"Why is she sleeping in your apartment?"

"She got kicked out of her place. Her landlord didn't take kindly to the fact that she was Faunus." Juli inhaled at that - though she was better about it than the average Atlesian, Juli hadn't been around the world like I had, and when the entire country and culture runs on treating a whole people as second-class citizens, then that sort of mentality tends to stick in you. "In the morning we're going to talk to Aurie, see if she can help out."

"Well, at least she's one of the good ones."

"Juli…"

"Sorry, I know it's wrong to say. What's she like?"

"Smart, likes history. She's into that trashy romance series you like."

" _Ninjas of Love_ is not trashy! And if she's into it, then I guess I can approve of her. Just don't go getting any funny ideas in your head, mister."

"Please, romance is the furthest thing from my mind. I'm just focused on my goals."

"That's good. Speaking of those goals, you said you had been training. How's that coming along?"

"Good. I'm learning a lot from my sparring sessions. Guardian fighting isn't anything like what dad taught me." Both true statements, and yet I still wasn't learning a thing about Guardian fighting. Sparring with Mercury and the others was just making me a stronger Assassin.

Well, if nothing else I wouldn't have much to fear from the other first-years. Compared to the people I've been fighting, a common Guardian-in-training wouldn't be much of a match.

"That's good. How's your job been?"  
"Actually, it's been going really well! I managed to talk a few people into making bulk purchases, so the boss gave me a bonus this month. I'll be transferring you a few hundred Lien - get the girls something nice, okay?"

"Are you sure? You'll have enough to last until Beacon starts?"

"I'm sure. Trust me Juli, I can manage my finances well enough."

"I know, I just worry you know?"

"Yeah. How's work? And how are the girls doing at school?"

"Work is fine. The SDC renewed their contract with the firm so we all got bonuses ourselves. As for the girls… Do you want a quick rundown or something more comprehensive?"

My eyes flickered over to the clock on the scroll and I said, "Just a rundown. We can get into more detail another day."

Juli nodded. "Alice is excelling at pretty much everything, as usual. Though she doesn't get a lot of work hours because she's devoting more time to the RSTC."

"She really wants to be a Specialist, huh."

"Yeah. When you come back to visit…"

"I'll see if she's up to snuff, don't worry about it."

"Good. Lorena's doing well in school as well, but she's struggling with history and literature. Kiana is having a bit of a drama issue between her friends - apparently she befriended a Faunus herself, and you know how things are here. Rayna is excelling in math, and is even taking a special class above her usual grade level. Haruka and Marigold are good as usual, but they're still having trouble fitting in with their classmates, what with them being so focused on being with each other."

"Right, I'll have to find some time to talk to the others."

"Damn right you will." Her eyes flickered and she said, "Well, it's not a school night but it's getting late and I have chores tomorrow. Talk again tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Love you, sis. Sleep well."

"You too, Jaune."

With the call done, I took a moment to pull out the file on Amber Corona and skimmed through it. I wouldn't make any plans now, but it would be worth it to give it a once over.

After that, I got ready for sleep, only to pause and look out the window at Beacon. It had become something of a habit for me, a way of reminding myself what I was fighting for.

 _I guess I'm not the only one looking for absolution,_ I thought.

With that, I shook my head clear and went to bed.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I can't believe that Beowolf is fucking dead.**

 **...**

 **Well, we had to hit the trifecta.**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 **ZenithTempest: Yep, one thing I wanted to be done here for certain is nailing home how important Guardians are by displaying how absolutely overpowering the Grimm are. It also helps explain how high Ranks are so crazy strong - out of necessity to deal with the Grimm.**

 **Guest: Well, I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Dased22: Yikes bro, that's pretty cringe. Shouldn't bring a real man's name into this, especially not one so recent.**


	13. Chapter 12: Stronger Together

**Author's Note: I'm moving the Author's Notes up here because when you read on the site, the presence of the chapter select buttons shift over anything in the first line or so. And I'm sick of it.**

 **Sorry this wasn't done sooner. As I've said before, I don't publish until the next chapter's rough draft is done, and Chapter 13 took a while. Not to mention all the (Current Events) messing with my work schedule (I'm essential, so I still go to work).**

 **Stay safe, everyone.**

* * *

Sins of the Forefathers

Act the First: A Beacon of Hope

Chapter Twelve: Stronger Together

"Cinder."

Cinder jumped at the voice of her Master, turning and bowing low at the waist. Next to her, Roman backed away towards the corner of the room, content to be left out of anything involving a Rank 1. Unmasked and undaunted, Raven crossed her arms and addressed Roman.

"Leave, thief."

He nodded, and bolted past her out of the room. Satisfied that they were alone, Raven took a moment to enact an extra precaution. She blinked, and for a moment her eyes blazed with rainbow fire.

Cinder felt a shift in the air, as though something had passed over and around the both of them, and then all was still. She raised her head as Raven spoke.

"We can't be detected anymore."

Cinder nodded and straightened up, flinching slightly as Raven placed her hand on her shoulder. She took a breath to compose herself as Raven tilted her head.

"Are you doing well, Cinder?"

"Yes, Master. Things are progressing steadily. Roman has acquired the relevant information on the Maiden, talks with the White Fang are progressing well, Jaune is getting along with my own apprentices, and I think even Watts was happy to receive Merlot's personal computer."

Raven nodded, then took her hand from Cinder's shoulder and crossed her arms. "I meant your wellbeing, Cinder. How is your training progressing? Have you grasped the Turn of the Swallow yet?"

"I am close. The footwork I have completed, but there is a slight discrepancy in my wrists as I perform the attack."

"Show me."

Cinder nodded and stepped back. Her Aura flared into her gloves once more and her scimitars appeared. After taking her stance, she performed the technique, swinging her left hand across horizontally before stepping forward and swinging her right hand along the same line.

"I see the problem. Individually, you have the footwork and the hand movements down. What you lack is the coordination of combining both together. And that is-" she paused, glanced to her left, and her Aura flared for a moment. "Forgive me. Watts needed his way home. As I was saying, the coordination is something that can only come from practice - but not fast. This will be painstaking, but you must practice coordinating both movements as slowly as you can manage, until the timing is flawless. Meditate on the technique as well. Once you have that down, contact me and I will have you practice the art with Vernal. I know I have stressed this many times, but _do not_ practice the Branwen Style in view of your subordinates."

"Of course, Master."

"How is the Arc boy? I trust that you are keeping an eye on such a wildcard."

"Of course. I have Emerald working on that… seduction plot you discussed. Mercury and Neo, Roman's apprentice, have also been watching him."

"And what do you have going on when he is out of your sight?"

"Hei Xiong, known to the locals as 'Junior,' has men posted around his work and home. Officially, Jaune is under Roman's protection, so the watchers are there mostly to ensure that Jaune does not interfere with Junior's local operations. I don't even have to pay him for it, as Junior has a bit of a grudge against Jaune due to an altercation that occurred between them."

"Excellent use of local conflicts. But can you truly trust Junior's men to report honestly?"

Cinder nodded. "Their most recent reports from today indicated that after debriefing us regarding the Mountain Glenn assignment, Jaune went home, and only stopped along the way to bring home some girl with black hair. As incompetent as Junior's men are, they didn't actually get a picture of the girl, but she is being investigated as we speak."

"Good, always cover your bases. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to gathering intelligence."

"Yes, Master."

Raven glanced to her right, looking at something only she could see, and her serenity hardened into concern. "We will continue this discussion later. Remember what I have told you - though you may believe in destiny, do not leave it up to chance. Control your environment, your surroundings, and you can control destiny."

As Cinder nodded and bowed. Raven turned and, with another flare of rainbow fire, altered the world until everything was back to normal. With a flash of dark red, she vanished from the room.

Cinder released the breath she had been holding and collapsed onto a couch in the room. A knock on the door alerted her, and she called for the person to enter. The door opened slowly, and Roman peeked his head in.

"Is she gone?"

"Yes, Roman, she is gone."

"Good. Gods, that woman is frightening."

"More than you know… where were we?"

"The girl that Jaune found… I think I have a lead."

"Already?"

"I've kept in touch with our… animalistic friends. Apparently, a little kitten has gone astray. Adam's Lieutenant, Blake - her description matches that of the girl Jaune picked up."

"Interesting…"

"You think we should share?"

"Mmm… no. Hold on to that information, however. We can hold it over their heads."

"Whose heads?"

"All of them. Jaune, Blake herself, and Adam if need be. We can use it to threaten Jaune and Blake - knowing Jaune, his sense of morality will not allow him to abandon Blake to Adam's retribution as long as he can do something about it. Blake and Adam are self-explanatory."

"Sure thing, Cindy… Though this is assuming that the information is correct based on hearsay."

Cinder glared at the diminutive nickname. "Well, I suppose you had best confirm it then."

"Right. Getting on that."

Roman left the room once more, and Cinder sighed to herself, looking up to the ceiling.

 _Soon enough, the power of the Maiden will be mine, and my destiny will be at hand. Like Raven said… I can't leave destiny to chance. I must seize it myself._

After a moment, she stood up and left, leaving Junior's club for the night to return to her hotel room.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, it was to Blake standing over me, holding her blade to my throat.

"I bring you into my home, patch up your wounds, let you sleep in my bed, and this is how you repay me?"

She flinched and took a step back as I rose to sit upright on the couch. We stared at each other for a moment, before she finally sighed and put her blade away. We spent a moment awkwardly staring at each other, unsure where to go from there, and I decided to speak up.

"So… you want breakfast?"

…

Blake stared at me with suspicion as I set the table. I didn't make anything substantial - just some scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Simple stuff. She didn't eat for a moment, and after realizing her intent, I rolled my eyes and took a bite out of the food first.

"I wouldn't poison my own food, Blake. Just eat, we can talk after. You must be hungry after being on the run."

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled, and she begrudgingly began to eat. After taking a few bites, she cleared her throat and spoke up, still looking down.

I sighed, as apparently all the women I was dealing with recently had no sense of patience and couldn't just finish their food before talking.

"So. Uh, thank you. For… helping me."

"It's what a Guardian would do."

Her eyes flickered up to look at me. "You're no Guardian."

"No. But much like you, I don't want to spend my whole life running from the law, killing for money. I can't change how I got my abilities, but I can at least do something meaningful with them."

Blake nodded her understanding. "So what's your plan?"

"What's yours?"

She looked aside. "I figured I'd just get some forged documents to apply, get through the written tests, and then abuse the Initiation system to stay in."

I shook my head and swallowed my food. "Bold of you to assume Ozpin and the IGO wouldn't vet documents like that, especially for Beacon Academy. Shade you might get away with, and Mistral would probably give you extra credit for your boldness… but Beacon? No, forged transcripts won't go anywhere."

"Then how were you going to get in? Maybe you weren't a… member of an organization like mine, but someone with your sort of history wouldn't be able to go through the normal process either."

"Through an… apprenticeship."

"With who?"

I paused for a moment, then decided to come clean myself. "Do you know a woman named Cinder Fall?"

She flinched and stood up abruptly, her chair falling back. "You're working with her?" She grabbed her sword out of its sheath once more.

"By the Brothers would you sit down? If I wanted to sell you out I would have done it when you were, you know, fucking unconscious."

Cautiously - almost apologetically - she picked her chair back up and sat back down, though she kept her sword unsheathed.

I sighed. "I met her on my flight into Vale. Who would have guessed that an ordinary office worker was actually an Assassin? ...in hindsight I probably should have, but I was concerned with other stuff at the time. She put out a hit on me out of fucking _curiosity_ and I ended up working with her because she's strong enough to kill me if I try to back out."

"So how does that get us to Beacon? I don't think a recommendation from an Assassin would hold up well."

"Not from her, from a Guardian - Amber Corona."

"The 'People's Protector'?"

"Yep, 'The Forever Fall Maiden' herself. See, Cinder plans to assassinate her-"

"I know."

"You know?"

"She brought it up when she met with Adam."

"Oh. Well, the basic gist of my idea is that we meet up with her, honestly explain the situation, and help her set up an ambush for Cinder and her crew."

"You want to turn yourself in?"

"The alternative is to go along with Cinder and kill Amber, or die. Or run, and die anyway because Cinder is backed by a Rank 1."

Blake blanched. "Do you know who?"

"Based on what she's said, Raven Branwen. The Omen of Victory herself."

"How do you know they aren't already aware I'm with you?"

"All things considered they probably are. I'm being watched."

"How do you know? Not exactly trusted?"

"No. And the watchers are better at it than they used to be, but still amateurs. A few weeks ago they would have been posting up around the area in their uniforms, but they've wised up and started to wear street clothes."

"Uniforms?"

"They're part of a gang run by an actual business owner in the area, a decent informant and black market dealer. Hei Xiong, they call him Junior- you know him?"

"I've heard of him, but I didn't know he had a cover. What does he run?"

"A club."

"A club?"

"It's where they get the uniforms from."

"Right. Of course." Now bemused, she sheathed her sword once more. "Okay. So all things considered, your plan is, unfortunately, one of the better plans to get us into Beacon… Wait, if Cinder knows I'm with you, and she's working with Adam-"

"I wouldn't bet on her telling Adam right away. She's the kind of person to hoard power and information, using it only when it benefits her - as it is, she'll probably get in contact with me at some point to try and coerce you into joining the assault on Amber."

"And then what?"

"Unfortunately, that might be unavoidable. I'll try to keep you out of it, maybe describe you as a potential leak or some other liability."

"And if that doesn't work?"  
"We need a plan for that. One way or another, because I helped you, we're in this together as far as the other parties are concerned. Doesn't help that if they chose to share notes, Cinder and Adam would find out that we both wanted to go to Beacon."

"All right. So where do we start?"

"We start by convincing Aurie to let you stay here as my roommate. That way we can watch each other's backs. After that… we need to do some training, get a feel for how well we can work together. Once you get better, of course."

"What about money issues?"  
"I still work for Tukson as a cover, but I made a few thousand Lien working for Cinder. We're pretty much set."

"And Amber?"

"You leave that to me… actually, maybe you should do it when you're better. You'd have a more legitimate reason to go to her."

"What do you mean?"

"You're a White Fang defector, she's in charge of Forever Fall where the White Fang is stationed-"

"-meaning I can go to her under the premise of offering information and work the Beacon angle from there. But how would I get you into the conversation?"

"Tell her that the White Fang has put out an Assassin's Bounty on her head and Cinder is taking it up, but that like you, someone from Cinder's crew - namely, me - is looking to defect."

"That… sounds reasonable."

I nodded. "I think we've got the makings of a real plan here, Blake." I held out my hand.

She spent a moment looking at it, then looked into my eyes.

I'm not quite sure what she saw in them, but she finally took my hand and shook it.

* * *

Her portal opened up to a vast field. Green grass and multicolored flowers filled it, with nothing but the plain for miles around, save for one thing. A massive tree stood in front of her, some species she'd never seen before on her travels or heard of in her studies. The sun, far in the west nearing the end of its reign in the sky, cast a soft orange glow over the scene. A soft breeze flowed over the plain, rustling the leaves of the tree and kicking up a smattering of flower petals.

Sitting in the shade of the tree sat a single man. She knew him well - he was her Master after all, the one man she'd acknowledged as her true superior. A passing thought told her to attack him now, while he seemed to be meditating, to give herself an advantage in the inevitable spar between them.

The thought passed. She was a Branwen. Petty sneak attacks and the like were tactics for the weak to use to even out the odds in a conflict with their betters - logically speaking, Raven understood the value of such things, and was not above recommending such tactics to her clanspeople for the sake of their improvement and success. However, the privilege of an honorable, fair duel was reserved for those strong enough to both demand and be worthy of one.

This man qualified on both counts.

She approached and stood before him. "Jacob," she called out.

He remained sitting, his legs crossed, his posture relaxed, his breathing even.

"Jacob," she called again, louder.

He stirred, and slowly opened his eyes before blinking rapidly as he yawned and stretched himself out. As he recovered, he focused his eyes and noticed Raven.

"Raven. How long have I been gone?"  
"It's July now, July ninth."

"I came out here in February, so… About six months? Damn, no wonder I feel so hungry. Wanna get something to eat?"

"Never mind that-"

"Fuck you 'never mind that,' I'm literally starving and dehydrated. I'm not asking for a fucking five star meal Ray, some fast food would be fine."

Raven rolled her eyes at the use of her nickname and a portal opened up, dropping a burger wrapped in paper with some logo on it as well as a bottle of water into his lap.

"Thanks, Raven." Satisfied, he started eating as Raven sat down before him, reaching into a portal and pulling out her sword, Zencho, an Odachi, and performing maintenance on it. She allowed him to eat in silence as she wiped down the Redsteel with a cloth, before dusting it with powder and proceeding to wipe the powder off with a separate cloth.

When that was finished, she began to rub the blade with oil as she asked, "Have you been meditating all this time?"

"Mm. I have," he said, taking a moment to swallow his last bite. He had eaten slowly, savoring his first meal in months. "After our last fight, I got to thinking about how to get past that new power you have… It's magic, isn't it?"

"..."

"Nothing? Well, it was worth it to ask. After our last spar, I spent a while thinking about that bullshit you did to make it impossible to hit you. And I stood thinking for so long that I took a break to talk to my son - that was back in February - and after that I decided to think some more so I ran out here in the middle of nowhere, took a seat, and started to meditate."

"And what did you find?"

"The answer… I think. I'm not wholly sure - but I can tell you with confidence that I'm close. Not close enough that I wanna start a real fight between us since I just woke up, and in fact I wanna go pick up my son for his next job first."

"Actually, I have news for you on that front."

Jacob's eyes narrowed, and he casually picked his sword up off the ground, laying it in his lap. "You been spying on my boy?"

"Young Jaune has flown the coop, as my tribe would say-"

"Is that 'cuz you've all got bird magic?"

"..."

"Right, continue."

"He's left Atlas for Vale. He intends to join Beacon, as you likely know."

"I do."

"Inadvertently, however, he gained the attention of my own apprentice."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned her - Vernal, right?"

"No, my other apprentice. Cinder Fall."

"Who- doesn't matter. So what happened?"

"Your son managed to best Cinder- wipe that smile off your face, she was holding back to avoid killing him. Currently she is blackmailing him to keep him on her side, in a bid to kill the Guardian of Forever Fall."

"Who?"

"A Rank 3."

"Huh. That's an even better challenge than what I was gonna have him do. All right, I'll leave him be for now - in the meantime, you come by every now and again with some food and updates about Jaune."

"You will remain here?"

"Well, if Jaune was so worried about the job I had planned for him that he left home, he must be serious. I'd be a real shitty dad to not give some measure of support for his decisions, even if my only support is 'not getting in the way' - but you'd know all about that, right?"

Raven grimaced. "Must you bring that up every time we speak?"

"Well, speaking as a father, your kid needs you. Maybe not in the same way as she did when she was like five or whatever, but she needs you in her life in _some_ manner, even if it's as a villain. As a parent, you need to be a concrete fixture in your kids life, not a ghost that people avoid talking about."

"Even if it's as a villain?"

"What do you think I am to Jaune?" Jacob gave a sad, yet smug grin. "I'm a monster, Raven, and so are you. There's no redemption in the cards for me, for either of us. We've killed far too many people for that. But even monsters can make for adequate parents - or so I'd like to prove."

Raven was silent for a time, before she returned her sword to the portal she drew it from.

"I appreciate your wisdom, Master. I will think on your words, and return in a week. Or sooner, depending on how things develop."

"Sure. And sorry, I'm sure you want a spar, but I'm too close to lose concentration now. Why don't you go see Miko? I'm sure she's just as stir crazy as you. Luke's got his wife, and Goji too. Could also go see old Hayato I guess, if you're willing to listen to him talk about his grandkids for an hour."

Raven nodded. "I'll let them know you're okay, then." She stood and prepared a portal, but before she went through, she turned back to him. "Jacob?"

"Yeah?"  
"How was it that you managed to hide from me? Even with my… abilities, I could not sense you until you - apparently inadvertently - announced your presence."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Raven looked at him and nodded, accepting his ignorance.

In all the time she'd known him, Jacob Arc had never told a lie.

* * *

At the top of Beacon Tower, an old man sat at his desk. He had been sitting there a while, busily performing his duties and working through a stack of papers and forms about as high as he was tall.

However, at some point, something shifted. It was nothing obvious like an earthquake or even a strong wind, and it certainly wasn't magic - he would know. Yet he felt something, like a pulse, as though something had awakened. It was powerful and alien, but- familiar at the same time, at the heart of the pulse, the core of it.

His aging mind searched through his memories until he remembered where he'd felt it before. His eyes widened in recognition and he reached over to press a button on his desk, activating his direct communications line to his greatest confidant.

"Glynda?"

"Yes, Ozpin?" She never did call him Headmaster, even when she had been a student. Before, he had simply been 'Professor Ozymandias,' and now that she was as his own daughter, it was even more simply 'Ozpin.'

He shook his old head clear. He had to focus.

"Put out an alert on all the high ranking channels. 'Jack the Ripper' is active again."

Stunned silence answered him for several moments before Glynda asked, "Are you certain?"

"Completely."

"I'll get on it right away."

As the call ended, Ozpin sat back in his chair and inhaled, before reaching for his faithful mug and taking a sip of coffee.

"What are you coming back for, Jacob?"

* * *

 **A/N: Review Replies**

 **Hiyuusha: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy this one.**

 **dragongod0117: Thanks for reading. I can't promise that things with Neo will end romantically, but she'll definitely be involved with a lot going forward.**

 **mickeysofine: This is something that will be discussed in the future, but I'll touch on it here. In essence, it's not just the animal traits that give extra abilities that make Faunus biologically superior, but generally speaking, the average Faunus is physically stronger, faster, etc. than the average Human. However, maintaining that superior strength takes more energy, whether in terms of calories or Aura. Hence, while it's true that Aura is technically relatively even throughout both species (with individual discrepancies still being investigated scientifically), Faunus with their Aura activated have less available to use as more of the energy is being automatically expended to maintain their physical abilities. Thanks for reading, hope you continue to enjoy it.**

 **Cco16: Here's more! Hope you enjoy.**


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